Indian cities are chock full of style: Zahra Khan

What are the ideas and influences that inform each city’s style? How does it fit into people’s everyday life? You’ll find answers to this and more in the five-part video series - Hauterfly's Haute Streets which is trying to highlight the importance of fashion as a means of self-expression. Scherezade Shroff, a well-known fashion and lifestyle YouTuber, is the host of the series, and travels across Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Shillong, and Bangalore, discussing trends with various fashion influencers and showing us glimpses of the best street shopping destinations and stores across each of these cities. The series also features industry stalwarts like Vogue India’s Fashion Director Anaita Shroff Adajania, designers Anita Dongre, Nikhil Thampi, and Narendra Kumar, as well as Cosmopolitan India’s editor Nandini Bhalla, and fashion veteran Prasad Bidapa, among several others.

Zahra Khan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Hauterfly, the brain behind this production spoke to After Hrs about the series...

How did the idea take shape?

Hauterfly will be three years old later this year. When we were thinking about our evolution from where we started to where we are today - i.e. among the top fashion and lifestyle destinations for millennial Indian women - the one thing we asked ourselves is this: how can we create something differentiated in a market crowded with sameness? What can we speak about in the context of fashion and beauty that is not another 'how to style' or 'how to do make-up' video? Can we create a relevant conversation around what style means to the everyday Indian girl? That's what Haute Streets is trying to address. It's our attempt at uncovering what influences and informs the unique style aesthetic of cities across India.

How was the experience of capturing style in these cities?

Indian cities are chock full of style! And culture definitely plays a huge role in influencing how women dress in every city - Mumbai is hugely influenced by Bollywood and how stars dress, especially off the runway, so a minimal, casual aesthetic is key. Delhi is all about dressing up, and mixing luxury labels with flea market finds. Jaipur has a strong ethnic vibe with accessories - especially statement jewellery - defining the style there. And it goes on. On the face of it, you'd think women dress very similarly everywhere. But scratch the surface and you'll discover layers that make the style vibe of each city so interesting and different!

What was the high point of this experience? 

Unlike the West, our fashion identity is deeply rooted in the history of our cities and states. So it was great to see young people everywhere having such a GLOCAL outlook to style - we're inspired by global trends yet so loyal to local heritage. What's more, we assembled a great team of collaborators to pull this off, and some superb partners like Veet, Vivo, and Liva who believed in our vision. Season 2 of Haute Streets will definitely be bigger and better!