Just when I thought she could not get more idiotic

You might not know her by name, but you've definitely seen her work. Meet Tanya Ghavri, stylist to Sonam Kapoor, Asin and many other Bollywood stars.A fellow Pinkvillan Soniya Guragain caught up with the very down-to-earth stylist for an exclusive interview. Tanya very graciously agreed to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions about her job and how she got into the profession.

You have been getting a lot of appreciation for your work with Sonam Kapoor & Asin. You definitely are one of the best stylists out there. How does it feel?

First of all thank you so much I'm very humbled to hear that, but I still do not think I'm close to the best there is still a. I have a long long way to go. It feels good to work with such amazing people and I love what I do.

How many years have you been doing this?

I started work about two and half years ago but I worked and did internships and freelance fashion jobs while I was in college, the day I discovered this is what I wanted to do there was no stopping!;)

What's usually the biggest challenge when styling a celebrity?

The biggest challenge when you are styling a celeb is understanding their personality and their vibe and then working with that to your best ability.

Do you ensure that a celeb is not repeating her outfit or wearing something that has already been worn by some other celeb?

Yes I do keep a tab when I'm dressing someone that they don't repeat what has been worn earlier but every now and then I leave room for errors because there is so much going on that sometimes it's only human if there is a misstep, but I try my best!

Do you look at Hollywood for inspiration?

I do love old Hollywood and I'm constantly inspired by it. But I think unconsciously we are all inspired by Hollywood. I still feel we have a long way to go in terms of costume design and styling in India to even match up close.

Who do you think is the best dressed celebrity in Bollywood?

The best dressed celebrity would have to be Sonam Kapoor. I mean I literally can't think of anyone else to match up. She's impeccable every single time gets it right and how. That's her own thing. She just has it in her! I think among men there is Saif Ali Khan - he's so chic and also Rahul Khanna is very very well dressed as well!

How is it working with Sonam? How would you describe her style?

Working with Sonam is a party! It's just us girls having fun, trying clothes putting looks together always eating!! We are kind of just enjoying the process. I don't think even Sonam can describe her "own style" because it is literally constantly changing. One day she's goth one day she's boho, one day pretty the other day she's retro. But I would say sometimes when you say Sonam I think of biker boots, a long loose top, her skinnys and her favorite Giorgio Armani glares poker straight hair(the hair is natural!!)

How does one get into being a celebrity stylist?

I think you don't decide when you start your career that "oh I'm just going to style celebrities", that happens gradually. I did internships with magazines, worked on ads, documentary films, designed for a play. Styling a celebrity happened eventually and off course now its full time job. But I think I would recommend whoever interested in this line to first study what you are getting into then work in different arenas of the design world to discover what you like. If you know you are interested in celeb styling then get a job with a celebrity stylist and get the experience before you head out and do your own thing.

Any styling tips for us?

Find yourself and your own style, don't ape someone else and once you find it then experiment within that. Try new things in your space, stay fit! If you're very interested in fashion then stock up all those magazines, read observe and learn .Most importantly dress for your body type. Style doesn't mean you have to wear the trendiest or the most bizarre thing it just means you wear and carry off what's best for you and always give the finishing touches (good shoes and the right accessory)

Follow Tanya Ghavri on twitter :
@tanya1ghavri

Sonam Kapoor has an agenda for the fashion industry or what? Or why else is she hopping from Paris to London to Milan to catch the Autumn-Winter 2012/13 showings at the fashion weeks? I know she has all the time as she got no movies to do but globetrotting and catching all the fashion weeks seems like the trait of a fashion addict.

Sonam should try for a job with a fashion glossy. I don't know if any would be keen to hire her as her knowledge on fashion is questionable. Wearing expensive labels doesn't necessarily make you a fashion pro. My one-time chit-chat with her exposed her as she gaffed about Japanese labels like Comme des Garons and it's designer Rei Kawakubo.

But yes I discovered from reliable sources that Sonam Kapoor is not invited by Cavalli or Gabbana to attend their shows. In fact she sends an E-mail request, which is like her resume to the fashion houses to secure an invitation. The E-mail talks about her filmography (a list of flop Bollywood movies) and also Papa – Anil Kapoor's Slumdog Millionaireclaim-to-fame. There are attachments of her snaps with Tom Cruise and of editorial shoots that she had done for Indian edition of Vogue, Harper's Bazaarand other fashion glossies. I guess that is enough of hard-sell by Sonam Kapoor to receive an invitation to the front-row. Once at the show she manages to get a picture clicked with the designer and immediately post it on Twitter for Desi media to clamour for it.