My personal style is: Always a contrast, always a contradiction. I love questioning gender norms – a contrast of what is considered masculine and feminine. A contradiction in rural and urban, desi and global, basic and über luxury. Black or white, or black and white. But always comfortable.
My personal style icon: None currently, people are either not relevant or not individualistic enough. Find a lot of clones and a trend culture that ends up looking contrived.
An item in my wardrobe that means a lot to me: A thrifted vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt that I know I will never fit into but can't get myself to get rid of. It represents someone I used to be and I want to hang on to.
My favourite souvenir from my travels is: A limited edition Karl Lagerfeld doll, inspired by Japanese Kokeshi dolls. It stands proudly next to a copy of Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld’s 'The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited' on my bookshelf.
The Karl Lagerfeld doll on the bookshelf
The best gift I have received: The book 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty'. It blew my mind. It reiterated that imagination cannot and should not be contained or controlled.
The best gift I have given: A gift that reminds me of the giver and that’s not given on an occasion or for a reason.
The last thing I bought: A pack of basic black and white t-shirts from H&M.
The last book I read: The beloved children’s book ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy. It’s a story about the power of friendship, self-acceptance and being true to oneself. It’s so simply narrated.
The last film I loved: Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’. I found it very heartwarming. A simple, relatable story without being preachy.
My Spotify list would include these songs: It changes constantly but it always includes some Coke Studio Pakistan, club anthems from the 2000s, the latest Bollywood item songs, the current viral song on Instagram and Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’.
My beauty/ wellness routine is: Yoga, oil pulling, watching my food group intake and shutting off from the world from time to time. I’m paying a little extra attention to skincare these days.
My favourite holiday destination: is always Paris. To me, Paris is a sensory experience. Its attention to beauty, pride in culture, joy in food are unparalleled. Paris is a beautiful amalgamation of past and the present.
I love to collect: Nothing.
My fridge always has: Cheese, crackers and olives along with some homemade preserves.
Minimalism or maximalism: Both in extremes, no “grey” areas for me.
My home looks like: An extension of me and my design philosophy: clean lines, no clutter, fuss-free. It’s functional and almost monochromatic but with a quirk.
Kabra's home is filled with clean lines and a touch of quirk
Kabra's monochromatic style
My favourite mix of traditional and contemporary is: At the risk of sounding like a cliche, this is what it is to live like in today’s world. There are no boundaries.
My best ideas come when: Unfortunately always when I leave work.
The best way to spend Rs 20,000 is: Indulging in everything that is sensory; a feast for either the body, mind, or soul. It could be travel, a spa day, a fabulous meal with close friends or family.
My idea of happiness is: To do what enriches me, inspires me and adds value to my life without any judgment or expectation.
