Fashion is, as they say, a form of self expression,” says Trishna Goklani, 27, who has been living and working in London for a few years now. She admits that she used to dress very differently as a teen though: “Thrift shopping on the weekends really helped me put my style together. I wore so many different colours, patterns and textures, and it really helped me understand fashion and feel comfortable in my own body.” But as she grew older, she gravitated towards simpler silhouettes and colours.
In Trishna’s case, this understanding of fashion and style seems innate. She recalls fondly: “My first fashion memory was going to the Hussein Chalayan show a long time ago at the Audi Fashion Festival. I put together an all-white ensemble of a structured blazer, tailored shorts and some studded heels. I still look back and think about that look sometimes.”
Nowadays, we can find her traipsing the cool part of town like Shoreditch or idyllic countryside like Hampshire, wearing what’s she best describes as a mix of neutrals. Go to her namesake IG handle to see her beautifully curated #inspo images – her 26K followers can attest to that.
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“I try to inject a bit of colour and, while it terrifies me slightly, it also pushes me out of my comfort zone. I used to go through a period of strictly wearing black and white, which probably reflected my state of mind then. I do find myself feeling much more alive and happier with a bit of colour,” she says.
Like her fashion idols the Olsen twins, known for their luxury label The Row, Trishna also loves understated, sophisticated designs when it comes to her wardrobe. On her favourite brands, she says: “If we’re looking at fashion houses, I’d say Celine in the Phoebe Philo era. She has such a great eye, and she definitely understands how women want to dress. But in terms of dress, I love anything from Ganni and Samsoe Samsoe… I just love the Scandinavian style.” However, she claims that things return to normal, we would only find her rocking jeans and trousers back in the office.
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This “real” sense of dressing is refreshing, and Trishna doesn’t fall victim to fashion, even though she deals with it daily. In fact, the words that she would associate fashion with are balance and comfort, though she has had her share of missteps. She says: “(Some of my worst purchases) are heels that are too high for me, because I can’t walk in them.”
She’s currently thriving in the British capital as a digital and social lead at a UK media agency, as well as being a content creator for her own social media channel. She says: “The platform that I work with showcases some incredible independent brands that we have here in the UK.”
She adds: “& Other Stories and COS are some of the first places I would look and shop, but I also love discovering small independent brands with great stories behind them. Through my work, I’ve discovered cool brands like Damson Madder and Sezane.”
Things are looking pretty great for Trishna at the moment, except for one thing. “Camel coat, that’s one thing lacking in my wardrobe right now. But the camel coat has to be super specific: with a drop shoulder style, slightly oversized and can be belted at the waist. And it has to be in the perfect shade of brown,” she says in mock seriousness.
It’s not just frivolity though – Trishna has recently started working on a Black, Asian & Minority Creative mentorship programme, in order to widen these groups’ accessibility into the creative industry, a cause that is close to her heart. Now that’s what we call style with a purpose.