Failing the civil services exams shattered my confidence.
Whenever I shared an interesting fashion story with my husband, Karl, he'd say, "You should tell this to everyone!" I never took it seriously, doubting myself. I was camera-shy and clueless about photography and editing.
But the people around me believed in me more than I did myself. And one day, when Karl posted a picture of my outfit, a comment resonated with me, and I decided to give it a shot.
With fear and self-doubt, I started messing around with social media.
I made my first trip to Kutch, with my brother, Gaurav lending a hand with filming. We explored villages, captured moments, and created my very first vlog. I made the second one about silk sarees in Benaras. Karl helped whenever I stumbled with editing. To my surprise, both videos went viral. I persisted, and last year, completed a fashion course at NIFT Mumbai.
I'm still camera shy, continuously working on my skills. But I'm happier than ever. I'm telling the stories I want to tell, and as I'm writing this, my heart is bursting with gratitude cause I've built an amazing community of over a hundred thousand people who enjoy hearing my stories. Can you believe it?
So, to all those amazing people who stood by my side and cheered me on, I owe you everything. Together, we have created something beautiful, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead on this incredible journey.
Iconic Bollywood Costumes: Decoding the Mumtaz look
Costume designer: Bhanu Athaiya
Vintage Indian fashion is unmatched, isnāt it? Saris never go out of style!
This is my mother's old saree. Itās from the days when rani pink and green was a craze.
Have you experienced this? My confidence was shattered. It took me more than a year before I started making content because of self doubt and my past failure at civil service examinations.
But the people around me kept pushing me and believed in me when I didnāt believe in myself. And you guys reading this supported me too. And you were right. Two of my videos went viral straight away!
I realised my passion was always for Indian fashion and so thought of doing a fashion course. But going back to college at this age?
The self doubt and confusion kicked in again.
My loved ones pushed me again and I joined a styling course at NIFT Mumbai.
Two days ago I had my final presentation. It went great and Iām happy to tell you that apart from the shopping vlogs, Iāll be making styling videos too!
I thought, being a smaller city, Pune might not have much of a fashion scene. But I was wrong.
I was very impressed by the kind of work these Puneri homegrown brands were doing and I canāt wait to share it with you.
Vlog comes out soon!
#ManishaMalik #shoplocalwithmanu #puneshopping #punefashion #shoplocal #homegrownfashion #localshopping #shoppingtour #indianbrands #sustainablefashion #artisanalfashion
I styled my Mausi's (Aunt) old lehenga in a modern way. I love collecting old clothes that they don't wear anymore. There are so many memories attached to them. They're like treasure. Do you do the same?
I tried mixing prints, howād I do?
Iād always loved the print on print trend because I enjoy playing with colours and patterns. But I was scared to try it on myself. I played it safe with solids.
I slowly started experimenting with them, and now Iām obsessed with it because itās fun and helps you create new outfits with the clothes that you already have.
Here are a few tips that helped me:
1. Start with mixing two prints.
2. Begin with neutral colours first.
3. Try mixing less overwhelming prints like stripes, polka dots and checks.
4. Try printed accessories.
So dig out your prints and create new outfits.
Did you see me during the IPL? My vlog of shooting for Amazon is coming very soon!
For centuries, Kajal or Surma (Kohl) has been the sole make up used by South Asian women. As a kid, I saw my mother wearing it from her beautiful-looking Surmedani and later I started using the kajal pencil almost every day.
Kajal brings out the natural features, it accentuates and adds definition to the eyes rather than changing or hiding them, no matter what the shape, size or colour your eyes are.
You can achieve different looks: from natural to smokey-eye dramatic look, depending on how much product you use.
A lot of folk songs mention Kajal, comparing kohl-smeared eyes to the dark clouds of monsoon. One of the genres of Indian music, āKajriā also gets itās name from it.
Kajal has religious and cultural significances too. In many parts of India, it is believed that kajal wards off evil spirits, which is why a small dot on childrenās heads is applied every morning.
Women have been making kajal in their homes. The kajal made using the traditional method also has medicinal properties. Some of the primary ingredients used include sandalwood, castor oil, camphor and ghee (clarified butter), all of which are used in Ayurvedic medicine.
#manishamalik #indianfashion #southasianfashion #indianmakeup #indianfashionblogger #kajal #smokeyeyes #curlyhair #madeinindia
Canāt wait to show you all the amazing fashion I found in Goa. This ear cuff is one of them. Isnāt it gorgeous?
PS: The designer collected these feathers herself!
#manishamalik #shoppingvlog #handmadejewelry #tribaljewelry #goashopping #neongreen #homegrownbrands #shoplocal #vocalforlocal
Discover the beauty of Indian fashion with me - from Bollywood costumes to artisanal brands!