An architect by profession, Mohini Boparai Guleria decided to give it all up to follow her childhood dream of working in the world of fashion. An Indian born and raised in the Netherlands, Mohini transfused her knowledge of architecture into clothing and acknowledged the influence of both in moulding her taste. “To make the move from being an architect to working in fashion was, I feel, my career coming full circle,” Mohini admits, adding, “I moved to Delhi from Amsterdam in 2004 to start an engineering and design office. It was a typical start-up based out of my living room. Thankfully, my company became successful and we moved into a larger space. Over time, I felt that I needed a new challenge and decided to work together with Sunjay (then fiancé, now hubby) and took on the role as a partner for Exclusively.com, which we had set up in 2010 wherein we sold luxury fashion and lifestyle products, and it has been acquired by Snapdeal in February this year.”
There is no doubt that this gorgeous beauty has redefined many wardrobes worldwide but her own closet choices distinctively gravitate towards classics. She confesses that her first lesson in the art of dressing came from watching her mother rock ‘70s fashion effortlessly. “My mother’s effortless style left me in awe and till today I cite her as my biggest influence. I attribute my exploratory nature to my liberal and free-thinking father,” she say adding that besides her mum, Carine Roitfeld (former fashion editor and model) is another lady whose style has always inspired her: “Carine’s preference for structured monochromatic separates resonate a lot with my personal minimalistic choices.”
For a lady who deals in fashion, Mohini shares that she draws inspiration from quite unexpected sources, too. She avers, “The smallest everyday things leave a creative impression on me beyond the mundane realm of thinking. A poppy field, reminiscent of Van Gogh paintings or the unusual play of sunlight on everyday objects, is as inspiring to me as a regal staircase in a Parisienne town house or an unusual shop front in a local boutique. I am very excited about the new section of young designers ushering in a subtler, sustainable, contemporary and richly eclectic phase in Indian fashion. I especially love Ruchika Sachdeva, Rina Singh, Pallavi Mohan, Tarun Tahiliani and Rahul Mishra too. As for international designers, my favourites including Gianvito Rossi, Helmut Lang, Peter Pilotto, Thierry Mugler and Armani.”
The fashionista loves to travel. “The different places I visit inspire my choices. I also love to try different cuisines and soak in the sights and scenery of the city I’m in. I love visiting international boutiques and exploring local fashion. I do enjoy the occasional night out, given my hectic work schedule, I tend to cherish the few outings and I end up indulging in. I love New York City specifically ‘Top of the Standard’ at the Standard Hotel in Manhattan. With stunning views of the city and great cocktails, I love heading there with friends during trips to the city. I also adore spending time at Le Perchoir in Paris, it’s a rooftop bar with an amazing view of Paris. I love to scour the by-lanes of cities that I visit for local boutiques and labels. Bangkok is another great destination for an all-girls holiday, great massages and amazing shopping!” So, does she have a lust buy list that she has been eyeing for quite some time? She laughs, “I think no girl can have enough vintage pieces by Christian DiorCouture or more shoes!”
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