What is the best thing that I love about my work? Well, I am a designer and I love doing what I do. I feel, having the privilege to do something you love is an achievement in itself. I think I have found my passion at an intersection point between fashion, art and crafts. My ideas of work come from a deeper place of creating change and difference within the world. It comes from a place of transforming the world through design. At the end of each day I feel a sense of achievement getting closer to my goal. It is undoubtedly a great feeling.

What is my idea of happiness? Happiness means feeling good, it comes packaged in the most simple things in life which are free like watching rain pour, cuddling your pet, embracing a loved one, etc. To me, giving and receiving love is the biggest form of happiness. Giving unconditional love and warmth to humans, animals, plants, species and earth is the biggest source of my happiness.

What is my greatest fear? My biggest fear is that most humans are becoming very robotic and the world is becoming chaotic. These days people think from their brain rather than their heart. Humans are meant to be loved and things are meant to be used, unfortunately in the world we live in humans are being used and things are loved. I am working towards changing what I fear.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I play around in the safe zones. I would want to be more fearless, would want to take more risks and chances. I would want to push the boundaries of self-created boxes as far as I can.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? I admire responsible and ethical designers like Stella McCartney on a global level. I follow Timo Rissanen’s work very closely for his practice about changing the way the fashion industry functions at a grassroot level. Within the bracket of Indian designers I have worked with Gaurav Jai Gupta founder of the brand Akaaro and admire his textile driven work.

What is my greatest extravagance? I think I splurge on handcrafted products and artworks. Things created by hand are priceless. This is also because they are created using emotions and are to be treasured.

On what occasion would I lie? Honest communication and transparency is the foundation of any relationship and lies must not be a part of it. I abide by it.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Coming from India, women are traditionally meant to be homemakers. We have come a long way from there however, there is still a long way to go. Women still need to prove themselves more than the male counterparts which is not something I like. However, this problem is on a global level, more prominent in some cities than others but things are changing. For example movements like equality in pay are coming into place.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? People are a huge part of what I do, making them happy is the biggest achievement. At this stage I am able to educate people around sustainability through responsible design. This makes me content and happy.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I trust people very easily. My guard is always down. I never doubt any person’s intentions and sometimes that backfires. I would want to change to be more guarded as a person.

What is my greatest achievement in work? When I started out as a designer I practiced design, however today I practice responsible design. Marrying fashion to sustainability within my work has been my greatest achievement so far. It gives an underlined meaning to my work and me.

Where would I most like to live? A beautifully curated home with my family in a peaceful place with abundant greenery around and many rescued animals.

What is my most treasured possession? My family has given me unconditional love at all times. They are in all truth my most treasured possession.

What is my most marked characteristic? They say I have beautiful eyes. If you ask me, I would say my ethnicity and colour of my skin is my most marked characteristic.

What is my most inspirational location in my city? Currently, I am in London, I love the Victoria and Albert Museum for its diversity in artwork and the quality of the exhibition curation. I admire Tate Britain and Tate Modern as well. I think looking at different artists’ work takes me on their journeys. When I read about any artist’s work it inspires me on various levels.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? Mare Street Market Café is my favourite café in London. I love it for the heavenly breakfast in the morning and also for plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. This place tops my list of memories there. All my meetings, dates, university projects and lazy days were spent there. It is a well-curated place done up in the vintage theme.

What books influenced my life and how? The Secret by Rhonda Bryne is a game changer for me. , Mastery Manual by Robin Sharma, Forty Rules of Love – Elif Shafak
I resonate with books that have spirituality running in their central theme. I am also inclined towards books with ethereal elements.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen to on my last day? I like songs with lyrics that echo within me. Again the lyrics of these songs come from a much deeper place when the artist wrote them. I would say Fix you by Coldplay, Shallow- Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, Words- Boyzone, Lose you to Love me – Selena Gomez

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? I would want to name a non-fiction real life character that I adore instead of a fictitious one from a fable. Having said that I would say real heroes depicted larger than life stay with me longer. Having said that, I would say Rumi is my hero. I am a sucker for love and his poetry charms me.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? I massively adore Priyanka Chopra for being such an inspiring role model. She in literal sense is a heroine in not only in Bollywood which is the Indian film industry but also in life. I respect her for her values and her go-getter attitude. I am truly inspired by her work with the United Nations (UN). She supports great causes that makes the world a better place to be in.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? If you are reading my answers until now, it might have become predictable. It must be quite evident that I am a sucker for love stories. My film recommendations are Notebook, Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, Interstellar.

What role plays art in my life and work? My work is an intersection point between fashion, design and art. Art defines my work on many levels. Most of my work comes from a conceptual space, but also a lot of my work appeals to a wider commercial audience. I tone down my conceptual work to accustom to a bigger audience.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? We are not only the storytellers of life but also writers of our own story. Each page of the story is written by us and all the important episodes and milestones in our life are the different chapters. Inferring from The Secret which is also like my Bible, I interpret it saying a person is in full control of their life and has the power to transform their life in any direction. The power lies in the thinking process. We are the creators of our life.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? I have a strong support system. My family and my network of closest friends are not only my greatest fans but also my biggest critics. They observe my work closely and criticise it well. This gives me a good room for improvement and helps me become the best version of me.

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2020? I do see myself collaborating a lot internationally. I will be looking at print brands to collaborate with. Globally sustaining slow fashion is gaining momentum. Brands that want to slow down and are seeking inspiration in different cultures and traditions would be a good match. Indian craft heritage is very rich and I see great possibilities of collaborations.

Which people in my profession who can make a real difference in my creative career would i love to meet in 2020? I would really like to meet and discuss fashion and sustainability in depth with Stella McCartney, Kate Fletcher, Timo Rissanen and Anita Dongre. I feel like these people would be such a perfect panel for a conducive discussion.

What project, in 2020, am I looking forward to work on? This project is very close to my heart where I am looking at designing well-being related handcrafted products.

Where can you see me or my work in 2020? My core sustainability team and I are actively working towards making Adidas LDN store at Bond Street- London one of the most sustainable stores in the world. You can visit the store to witness it in real sense.
Apart from that, I am also working on my home brand back in India. It is an ancestral brand of hand block printing with hand carved wooden blocks. We are working towards reviving and keeping the traditional art alive. This will be seen in different stores across pan India. We are expanding to a few stores internationally. This is in the pipeline of our goals. www.inheritanceindia.com , Instagram : silkwavesindia, Instagram : inheritanceindia

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? True passion stays within your heart. True passion does not fade. It is effortless and just flows. The quote by Vincent Van Gogh is something I totally live by “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” –Vincent Van Gogh

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Julia Crew, Sarah Weightman, Rosie Willatt, Bethany Williams, Laila Tyabji

How can you contact me?
Linkedin is the easiest to connect on : Mariyam Khatri
Instagram : mariyamkhatri
You can also email me on mariyam.khatri015@gmail.com

Here follows a message of Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey