“I didn’t have a fashion background or any exposure to pop culture growing up,” confesses lifestyle content creator and designer Siddhi Karwa, who spent her childhood in Nashik. A move to Mumbai to study advertising was marked by culture shock. However, Karwa was equally enamoured by the fashion choices of the city’s young population. Little did she know that a chance spotting at 18 by Balaji Telefilms, one of India’s leading television and movie production companies, would turn her life around in more ways than one. An acting stint later, she was ready to take more risks.
Fashion, in particular, grabbed her attention, pushing her to take a plunge into blogging, a career that was still picking up back then. “Being a part of the television industry made me strong and independent at a young age. It paved the way for my future, making me more confident in making fearless decisions,” reveals Karwa.
To give fashion a serious shot, she enrolled on an editorial styling course at the London College of Fashion, UAL, in 2018. However, it was the aspect of creative direction and production that caught her fancy right after the course. Soon after, she founded her creative consultancy Unfurl Studio to help curate campaigns for brands.
Her work, like many others, took a hit during the pandemic. With more time on her hands, Karwa started to play around with the décor in her Nashik house. “During this time, I would also head to the outskirts of the city to shoot countryside décor videos and tablescapes. I started having fun and realised I had a knack for it,” Karwa says. Her interest in design turned into a serious passion as Karwa undertook the makeover of her Mumbai house as a personal project. She received the ultimate validation when a leading interiors publication featured her home on their digital cover. Next, she headed back to London, this time to the Chelsea College of Arts, UAL, to pursue a formal course that covered residential design as well as retail and commercial aspects. While studying here, Karwa discovered her inclination towards eccentric design choices. “I loved going over the top, a stark contrast from my fashion choices that are rather minimalistic or classic. I feel design is now helping me make bold choices in fashion,” she shares.
While creating content for social media and working with brands on design projects keeps her busy, Karwa turns to Pinterest and Tumblr for an escape. “American architect and designer Kelly Wearstler has been one of my inspirations. Her design outtakes converge with her sartorial choices, which is what also gave me a sense of direction when I was transition – ing from fashion to design,” she shares.
So, what’s next? In addition to her work as a content creator, Karwa has two interior design projects in the pipeline. “I plan to gradually add the design vertical to Unfurl Studio. I would like to be called a creative designer since I’ve never wanted to be boxed. I enjoy experimenting with several things at the same time. There’s really no end to my learning curve,” she concludes.
Photographer: Pawan Daultani
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