Shilpa Bilimoria
Shilpa Bilimoria
TELL US ABOUT A MEMORY YOU HAVE WHICH
CONNECTS YOU TO YOUR HERITAGE
SB
One of my most fondest and earliest memories is getting dressed up in a ghagra choli, for no reason other than my Dadi (paternal grandmother) encouraging me to. We then danced and did aarti together. I remember her soft singing while holding my hands with the aarti plate and light guiding me through the process.
HOW HAS LIVING IN LONDON SHAPED AND INFLUENCED YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
SB
I moved to the UK as a teenager, which had quite a lot of upheaval in itself. What it did force me to do is question my sense of identity and heritage very often. It took several years of not feeling comfortable which finally made me come into my own being with a full sense of heritage and identity. What London has created for me is the notion of being a global citizen which is my conclusive spot for the time being!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS BEHIND THE VISUAL AND
OUTFIT YOU HAVE CURATED FOR STYLING HERITAGE
SB
My outfit consists of a shirt, a half draped sari, and Nudie jeans. Accessorised with my mothers jewellery from the 90s and a beaded belt that was thrifted, and I believe is of African origin. The shirt is made from the other half of the sari, and is my Baa’s (maternal grandmothers). Choosing to create the shirt from only half of it means I am able to keep the other half to drape and cherish as an heirloom. The shirt allows me to have a part of her with me, within the context of day to day life here in London. My mother worked in a bank for most of my childhood years and time in Canada, I watched her put on her powersuits almost every day, and then come home and transform into a traditional Indian look. It’s the combination of these two identities that have formed my idea of style. We shot the feature on the road in Archway that my Mother first lived on when the family immigrated from Kenya. Following what would have been her route to school, in 1969 when she arrived
WHAT IS YOUR HERITAGE?
SB
Gujarati, Indian. Born in Canada, my mother was born in Kisumu Kenya, and father in Mumbai, India.
creative director shilpa bilimoria PHOTOGRAPHED BY Pratibha Gurung