Sakshi Sindwani knows she risks losing her mind. Being a content creator, she’s aware of the pros and pitfalls of social media. You may recognise her as the bubbly, body positive model who serves up double-tappable looks on the @StyleMeUpWithSakshi handle. Her warm digital persona seldom ceases to uplift our day. That said, like any other hyper-connected digital native, Sakshi is constantly trying to come to complete cognitive clarity in adverse conditions like falling into the rut of uninspiring content and even facing trolls. I call to chat with her wondering how she stays intact. Let’s say…I’m asking for a friend.
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
Necklace & Ring: La Solitaire
Bracelet: Jagat Jewels
“When I get a negative comment, I try to create some content with it. So, in a way, it inspires me. On days when I cannot ignore it, I give myself 15 minutes to brood over it, and then try to laugh it off,” she tells me, exuding the serene self-assurance of a woman who’s gotten used to seeing the sunny side up. But it wasn’t an easy journey figuring out how to balance the real and reel worlds. Her agency of unwavering self-love, authenticity and confidence comes from years of learning and unlearning–learning that society may not always be kind to those who do not fit into traditional moulds, and unlearning the prevalent benchmarks of body hate, beauty and perfection.
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
Earrings & Rings: Khanna Jewellers
Hair Accessory: Maaneh Millinery
Childhood dreams
“Growing up in a Punjabi family, I was a super enthusiastic child. Celebrations, vacations and a lot of co-curricular activities like dancing and singing made up my days,” remembers Sakshi, adding, “I’m thankful to my parents for the outings and the exposure–it has inculcated the confidence I have today.” Her superpower up until upper grade school was “being chubby.” She recalls being showered with immense love and attention. “I wasn’t exposed to body negative energy or body-shaming–I didn’t even know what the terms meant until I got into college. Where other kids were gaining height, I was also gaining weight. Eventually, I was an average looking kid who was also fat, and that led to severe bullying. From being an extrovert, I became a recluse. No boy ever showed interest in me. If anything, they made sure to show me they were not interested in me. As a teenager, that was a big validation,” Sakshi shares.
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
Earrings & Rings: Khanna Jewellers
Hair Accessory: Maaneh Millinery
Almost half-a-million followers (and counting) on a blue-ticked Instagram account and a legion of subscribers on YouTube must be validation enough today, I inquire. “When I started my vlog in 2017, I put up styling videos on how to nail fashion if you’re plus-size. I am not a preacher, but I wanted to break stereotypes. Immediately, I got loads of encouraging comments from strangers about how my content was inspiring them, and that was all the validation I needed.”
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
All Jewellery: Hazoorilal Legacy
Style stories
In 2019, when attending Lakmé Fashion Week as a blogger, designer Rina Dhaka spotted Sakshi and really encouraged her to audition for her fashion showcase for plus-size women. Soon, Sakshi opened and closed Rina’s show. “When it happened, I was like ‘I am one of the first in the country to be a plus-size model’, that must mean something. It snowballed into me becoming the first female to walk in a bathing suit for Shivan & Narresh. The show went viral, and it really changed my life.” Since then, she has walked the runways for ace fashion weeks, including the 2022 Lakmé Fashion Week for couturiers like Manish Malhotra and Shantanu & Nikhil.
Outfit:Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
Rings: La Solitaire
Earrings: Jagat Jewels
Necklace: Shree G.K. Chudiwalas
“Most days, I feel fantastic about myself but of course, I have my low days. And I am very realistic about my body,” she quips, a sentiment everyone can resonate with. “I go to the gym five times a week. It is my biggest form of self-love. But am I bothered about my waist size? Or how saggy my boobs are? Or my stretch marks? I can’t change these things and I am okay with that. Fake it till you make it. You have to start like that and you will believe it. I am still on my self-love journey,” she advises. “I bet you didn’t think it would get as real as this,” Sakshi says, with a laugh. But real is just what I was expecting from the digital sensation who is as vocal and woke as anyone can be in the year 2022, using her social media and sartorial choices to advocate for body neutrality.
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
All Jewellery: Hazoorilal Legacy
From crop tops to lehengas, nothing stops her from being comfortable in her own skin and having fun with fashion. “I am unapologetic about everything that I wear. I carry my clothes with a lot of bold and beautiful energy. My personal style is recreatable and relatable. Indian wear is my absolute favourite. When it comes to occasion wear, I love myself a deep neckline that shows a little bit of my cleavage but it is also subtle. Lehengas are my go-to–the bigger, the better. I also love pre-draped saris and peplum anarkalis.”
Outfit: Kamaali Couture, www.KamaaliCouture.com
Necklace & Ring: La Solitaire
Bracelet: Jagat Jewels
Having tried various silhouettes, her fashion commandments for every plus-size girl are: “Don’t be afraid of colours and over-sized clothes. Always go for high-waisted silhouettes. Stop covering your butts with long tops. If that bulge is showing, let it show.” And her top tip for brides feeling a little under-confident about their size is “to realise that no matter your size or shape, you’re going to look like the most beautiful girl in the room if you are going to be a happy bride. Simply, wear the widest smile on your day of love,” she signs off.
Editor-in-Chief: Sonia Ullah
Photography: Anubhav Sood
Styling and Conceptualisation: Tanishq Malhotra
Makeup: Guru
Hair: Santosh Pokharel
Assisted By: Bhavya Jain, Archita Elwadhi,
Saasha Sarin, Ravali Chinthapatia
As seen in the Khush Wedding 36
