A world of her own : Anaheez Patel

What does individuality mean to you, and how do you express it?
I think a lot of what we call individuality is actually just socially acceptable rebellion. Especially for women, there's still an invisible rulebook about how ambitious, outspoken, feminine or independent we're allowed to be. For me, individuality is having the self-awareness to know what I stand for and the conviction to live by it, even when it's inconvenient. It also means accepting that I can be deeply feminine, fiercely ambitious, opinionated and vulnerable without any of those things contradicting one another.

How has your relationship with style evolved as you’ve evolved as a woman?
When I was younger, I think I was far more conscious of how I was being perceived. And women are conditioned to think about that almost constantly. Today, I dress far more instinctively. Some days I want to look powerful - in androgynous silhouettes; other days sensual and very effeminate.I've also stopped believing that a woman needs to downplay her femininity to be taken seriously intellectually or professionally. Style, to me, is less about constructing an identity and more about being comfortable with the many sides of one.

What is one quality you value more in yourself today than you did ten years ago?
Intellectual humility, without a doubt. At 18, I thought intelligence was about having answers and conviction was about never backing down. At 28, I realise how dangerous certainty can be when it isn't accompanied by curiosity. I still have strong opinions (everyone is aware hahah), but I'm willing to interrogate them, change my mind and admit when I don't know enough. I think the ability to question yourself without losing confidence in yourself is a very underrated form of strength.

What does it mean to evolve while staying true to what makes you, you?
I actually think we're far too romantic about the idea of 'staying the same.' If your experiences, education, relationships and failures aren't fundamentally changing the way you see the world, are you really growing? To me, authenticity isn't loyalty to an older version of yourself. It's being honest about who you are at every stage, even if that means contradicting who you were five years ago. Your values can anchor you without your identity becoming a cage.

What about Āroka’s approach to design and its evolving identity resonates with you?
What I find interesting is the refusal to treat heritage and modernity as mutually exclusive. I think Indian fashion is often expected to either preserve tradition or break away from it, when the most interesting creative work happens somewhere in between. What resonates with me about Āroka's design language is that it leaves room for contradiction: structure and fluidity, restraint and sensuality, familiarity and experimentation. That's how I see identity too. You can be deeply rooted in where you come from without allowing it to dictate the limits of who you become.