Priyesh Patel
When did your interest in fashion begin?
I’ve always been interested in the boundaries that exist within dress and gender. From a young age, I always use to play with my mums make up and clothing, not really knowing what it would mean if I were to step out into the real world with it on. That ultimately stopped as I got older, when the pressure to be and act masculine was of the utmost importance in school. So instead of playing with women’s clothes, I became heavily interest in fashion by watching shows and flipping through magazines.
Sooner or later I applied my interest in fashion into something I was academically interested in which was writing and studied a fashion history and theory course in London.
Has your research changed the way you dress and view your own personal style?
I’m pretty sure everything that surrounds me heavily influences the way I dress, some of which include the university I go to or the clubs I frequent. Where most of my written work at university heavily concentrates on queer culture and dress, I’m pretty sure I see elements of styling in my research which I try to incorporate into my everyday dress in some way, shape or form.
How does your research and work influence how you post on Instagram?
I imagine it influences my Instagram unconsciously, as I believe my account is quite personal and more about me than anything else. People who visit my profile probably don’t actually know what I do for work - maybe I should make that more apparent.
What has been your favorite place to travel to?
Since I was born, I’ve gone to India more or less every three years and my family even have a holiday home there, so to this day it’s still one of my favorite places to visit. Mostly, I love it because it’s so vastly different from London and so far removed from Western culture, which can sometimes be enormously refreshing.
What interests you most about Indian culture in regards to fashion?
I have no clue about Indian fashion, like I’m pretty sure I’m not up to date on trends or styles, but I love it. From a young age, wearing a sherwani that was laden with beautiful embroidery and embellishments felt like a much more opulent and extravagant way to dress up as opposed to wearing a suit on a special occasion.
In terms of incorporating Indian styles in to my every day dress, right now I’m looking for vintage jewellery from the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, but its proving to be quite expensive to buy from here. Maybe I can get my hands on some on my next trip!
Images courtesy of Priyesh Patel
interview HANNAH GLENN
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