Best Dressed 2016: Mandovi Menon

Text & Interview by Saumya Sinha. Realisation by Divya Mahindra, Girish Masand, Shweta Navandar, Prateek Patel and Anuradha Gandhi. Photographs by Sheena Dabholkar. Make-Up by Charmaine Rao Soares, for Shiseido

For contemporising ethnic handlooms

Co-founder and Editor of Homegrown; Mumbai

Label love
Locally, NorBlack NorWhite is a brand I can really relate to. I like clothes that could easily be art.

Will never be seen in
Stilletos! I can count the number of times I have worn them, and I have been barefoot halfway through whatever event I was at.

Heirloom treasures
My closet is full of old textiles largely passed down from my family. There is nothing like vintage clothing for me. I like knowing that everything has stories, and memories are attached to them. It thrills me to know that the same sari, which my mom wore to college when she was 16, has been converted into a dress by me 30 years later.

Dress code at work
There are no rules. I dress according to my mood always. The only thing I won’t do is wear shorts for important meetings because people will take me less seriously.

Wardrobe peek
Lots of earthy tones and plenty of handlooms. I usually style the latter in a way that makes it look urban.

Travel essentials
A bikini (you never know where you might find a pool or a lake to jump into, even in the mountains). And a pair of super comfortable sneakers.

On a cheat day
Time off is so rare for me nowadays, I always try to sneak in some travel, go diving; or find some cottage on an apple orchard up in the hills.

Sartorial confession
I don’t think many people know this about me but my socks never match!

Next, Nitya Arora.