Hey Ms. Ahooja
Meet the style crush who’ll change how you get dressed in the morning.
Meet the style crush who’ll change how you get dressed in the morning.
I am mildly (okay, totally!) obsessed with Neelam Ahooja. My personal style varies quite a bit, but I always dream of being one of those people who knows who they are and sticks to it. How clarifying! Neelam is that times a million. And her style is incredibly inspiring. Every person I’ve shared her IG with is always grateful to see the understated, chic looks she puts together with unique, refined vision and eye for detail. I’m honored that she agreed to share a bit of her story and perspective. (Spoiler alert: This isn’t her first career, and you won’t believe what was!)
HMS: Yours is a pivot story! Tell us.
NA: At a young age, I would dream up designs, sketch them, and occasionally, make cardboard cutouts and put them on my bedroom walls. They were very Comme des Garçons meets Rick Owens. In fact, Rei designed a blazer recently that is nearly the exact same design I had sketched as a child. As the daughter of immigrant parents who were raising a child in the 70s (when people [of color] were not given equal consideration in employment), my parents pushed me towards a safer path and I ended up becoming a CPA. There is nothing about me that aligns with this but I do understand why the universe sent me in that direction…it’s how I met my husband. I only came to Instagram in full force recently because my kids were young and I didn’t want to split time. I’ve discovered it isn’t easy for me to balance social media with everything else so I’m glad I waited.
HMS: You are especially focused on The Row. And I love your incredible reviews! Why this brand?
NA: I had followed the girls [ed. Mary Kate + Ashley Olsen, founders of The Row] and their career from inception but the price point was too high for me back then so I enjoyed them from a distance. My first Row pieces were basics (short and long sleeved tees) I purchased on sale. I love comfortable, quality fabrics, neutral palettes (esp. black), and a minimal aesthetic. My style has evolved over time. I now want items that will last a while and work seamlessly with things I already have. I don’t follow trends (for the most part) and I prefer inconspicuous branding. The Row just checks all the right boxes. Plus, it helps that I’m the same height as the designers so I get to see how things will look on me when they wear their line.
[ed note: A great tip to look for designers who share your same body type. You can see them wear the clothes, and they often design based on what looks good on their own bodies.]
HMS: What inspires you?
NA: Nature. Oceans and flowers especially. Modern landscape and architecture. Art of all varieties. Indian garments. I grew up watching my mom doll up in vibrant silk saris dripping with embroidery, so there is a piece of me that really appreciates colour and ornate designs. I have a collection of Dries Van Noten scarves that attest to that. When/if I wear something like this, it’s as an accent, not the base.
HMS: And style icons?
NA: My first real style crush was Denise Huxtable on the Cosby Show. I have a collection of stills from those days and I look at them (often) and the style still resonates. It’s oversized. Masculine. Edgy. Also, there weren’t many short, curly haired, women of colour in the 80s with an affinity for fashion so I suppose I could see bits of me in her. The Olsen twins. I am more Mary Kate than Ashley but I love them both. Their style today is a grown up version of their younger selves. The clothes they wear are more conservative now but they still sport them in a casual effortless way. They’ve swapped tattered tees and ripped jeans for crisp white shirts and pleated trousers but it’s still done in an undone manner. It’s always chic…and no one does it better.
HMS: With all these beautiful neutral pieces in your closet, how do you decide what to wear in the morning?
NA: Comfort is key and I tend to reach for black first (unless it’s a day in the sun) because I find it to be the most flattering. I always feel my best and most confident in black. The beauty of owning some investment pieces by The Row is that it doesn’t require a lot of thinking. It goes with everything. It’s timeless and the tailoring is impeccable so it always looks good. How I dress on any given day is intuitive for me but if I break it down (mood aside), there are a few considerations:
Clothing — Where am I going? Shopping? Dinner? Informal or formal?
Bag — How long will I be out? An hour or two? All day? Do I need to carry everything and the kitchen sink?
Shoes — Will I need to stand or will we be seated?
Colour — Will I be eating? Not white!
HMS: If we’re just buying one item this season, what should it be?
NA: A fisherman style sandal. It can be worn all year (except in the snow) — with socks in the fall. They’re super cool and send a message — “I don’t care that these aren’t considered sexy.” Perhaps that’s exactly why I love them.
Where to find the inimitable Ms. Ahooja (apart from her home in Canada):
Likeittoknowit neelamahooja
Youtube : Neelam Ahooja (For very excellent The Row product reviews)