Models off duty

For models, whose lives are shaped by constant transformation, personal style becomes an anchor: an unchanging thread in a world of shifting identities and borrowed visions. MUSKAN MUMTAZ speaks with five of India's leading models to learn about how their off-duty wardrobes become an act of authorship-a map of where they've been and where they're going

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Madhulika Sharma

How has your personal style evolved over time?

I grew up in Assam, surrounded by my mother's hand-dyed silks-she's a textile designer who works with cruelty-free eri silk, dyed with turmeric, mulberries and indigo. That early intimacy with fabric stayed with me. As I modelled across India and later in New York, my style evolved through immersion: watching stylists, visiting ateliers and learning on set.

What anchors your off-duty wardrobe?

Contrast. I love mixing the feminine with the masculine: silk slips with leather jackets, a soft dress with combat boots.

My favourite pieces are the ones with stories: vintage Levi's I freeze instead of wash, a lambskin jacket I thought I'd lost in London, and treasured pieces I've mailed back and forth with my best friend in Hawaii.

Yachika Sharma

What does authenticity mean to you, and how does it shape how you dress?