House of Experts Ep 43: Vibha Kagzi in conversation with Eshaa Amiin, Celebrity stylist

House of Experts is a show that ReachIvy kick-started to help those who are unclear about their career choices. We hope through these sessions with some very successful people, we can shed light on a new career path every week. House of Experts plans to make a collection of interactive and informative sessions with experts from various domains.  

Vibha Kagzi, the host, is the Founder and CEO of ReachIvy.com, a premium study abroad and career consultancy organization. Vibha, a Harvard alumna, is a successful entrepreneur and believes in helping others chalk out their future careers.  

In episode 43 of House of Experts, we were fortunate to host, Eshaa Amiin, Celebrity stylist.

Eshaa Amiin is the founder of Eshaa Amiin label. Her fabulous sense of style reflects through her work as seen on some of the best names in Bollywood as a stylist to stars like Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, jahnvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Bipasha Basu, Chitrangada Singh, and many more for appearances, endorsements, films and editorials.

Some of her most talked about campaigns are Mr Amitabh Bachchan for first cry and the late Mrs Sridevi for Ching’s . Styled Editorial covers for Filmfare, Forbes, The Man, Femina, Stardust, Exhibit etc. She has been The Fashion Director for Miss India Organisation for a few seasons and the only Indian stylist featured in PETA’s vegan fashion campaign.

Some excerpts from the interview:

1) What was your childhood like?
I grew up in Mumbai, and I was always interested in art and design. I would keep sketching and creating things, and would ask my mother to enroll me in art and craft classes. One day, when my mother saw my sketches, she asked me why I was sketching clothes. She told me about Fashion Designing when I was about 8 years old, and then that registered in my mind. I decided that this is the field I want to go into when I grow up. As a child, I was also very interested in cultural activities, and was a very active child.

2) What are some of the challenges you have faced while working with celebrities?
Bollywood to me was unknown, I entered with a clean slate. I feel really fortunate that the industry warmed up to me and accepted my work. Every actor has a unique personality. Sometimes, they do come in with a fixed idea of what it is that they want, but as a stylist, if they insist on wearing something that I feel is not working for them, I try to get them out of their comfort zone while also making them feel confident in what they are wearing. One of the major characteristics of a stylist is to be able to sell your idea and convince your client. When you’re working on something together, and you come across something that’s better suited for them, it’s up to you to make it happen for them.

3) How do styling trends start?
Typically, fashion weeks are believed to be the trendsetters. There are also exclusive paid events by fashion forecasting agencies that orient you to what the trends are going to be in the near future. Another avenue is runways, where you look at what designers all over the world are doing and find similarities among them. You also look at how versatile a trend is, and then you can deduce how long it is going to last.

4) What are some of the important things one must know to become a fashion designer?
I think it’s important to learn the basics. Having that knowledge helps you in the profession. You need to have an eye for fashion, style, and a passion for design. You also need to have the knowledge of technicalities- garment construction, how they are put together, and how things work. You have to be absolutely open to learning whatever comes your way, and must be open to exploring. Until you do something, you won’t know whether you like it or not. All of these qualities together define a designer.

We are really grateful to Eshaa for coming on our show and sharing her valuable experiences with us.

Missed out on the previous house of expert episodes? You can watch them here

Are you looking for career guidance? Contact us TODAY!