Vagya Kachhapati has been modeling since her high school days. The 19-year-old rising modeling star joined the industry after becoming the runner-up of House of Fashion’s En Vogue series in 2017 and has, till date, featured in numerous advertising campaigns and walked equally many runway shows. Currently, in her gap year, Kachhapati mentions that she has been interested in fashion and modeling ever since she was a child and her passion for fashion has only grown with time. Here, she talks about her style preferences, skincare routine, and shares some tips on how you can always look your fashionable best.

How would you describe your style?
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t have a particular style. As a model, I’m asked to wear a lot of things and, because it is my career, I have to pull them off. Over the years, I’ve learned to make outfits and clothing of all kinds work. As long as I feel confident in what I’m wearing, I can and will wear anything that’s made available to me. Having said that, I also confess that I prefer cozy and comfortable clothing than tight and restrictive ones, even though I can’t always wear these types of clothing.

What are things you take into account while getting dressed everyday?
I believe that every place and event has a dress code – even though sometimes it isn’t very obvious – and that we should all dress according to the occasion. So, that’s the first thing I consider when I get dressed for the day. Another obvious factor is the weather because if you don’t dress according to the weather, you will definitely feel uneasy throughout the day. The last and the most important factor is how I feel about the clothing. I only wear things I feel confident in.

What is your one tip to looking good everyday or in everything you wear?
I emphasize this whenever I’m asked about my preference in clothing – you should either learn to own everything you wear or only wear things you know you will look good in. I genuinely believe that as long as you feel that you look good and are confident in what you’re wearing, people who see you will see that confidence and naturally believe that you look good. I also believe that a smile suits everyone and you look a hundred times better when you smile. I actually use that in my everyday life – I will be smiling nine out of 10 times you see me.

Where do you look for fashion and style inspiration?
I follow Hollywood celebrities – especially the fashionable ones – on online media sites. My personal favorite site and magazine to scroll/flip through for fashion and style inspiration is Harper’s Bazaar. I think they do an incredible job covering everything you want to know about fashion and what’s going on in the fashion world. I also follow a lot of style pages and models on social media sites. I think following people you find fashionable or pages that give helpful fashion advice and updates on social media is the fastest and the most effective way to get fashion and style inspiration.

Do you have a fashion icon you look up to?
Yes, I actually have two – Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevinge. I don’t think anyone can outdo Kendall when it comes to street style. Her model off-duty style is impeccable and very influential. As I’m very drawn to street style, I enjoy seeing her sport the look as well. 

As for Cara, she is very quirky and her style is very idiosyncratic. It’s always fun to see what she walks out in during her red carpet appearances. I think anyone can learn to create a distinctive style for him/herself by looking at Cara’s outfits.

Which is your favorite piece of clothing (or accessory) from your own wardrobe?
My favorite piece from my own wardrobe has to be this yellow hoodie that I wear very often. I bought it a while ago and have been wearing it very frequently ever since then. It’s very cozy and comfortable to move around in. I also think that the color yellow complements my skin tone so I feel like the hoodie really suits me.

If you could choose five clothing items from your wardrobe, what would they be?
The item that I wear most often is obviously the yellow hoodie that I mentioned earlier. I really like denim so there’s a lot of denim in my closet. The denim items I wear most often are my denim jacket – that goes along with a lot of my outfits – and a pair of grunge jeans. Besides those, I also wear my bodycon one piece and my long coat quite frequently as both of these pieces are very versatile and can be styled in so many different ways.

Are you fond of accessories?
I’m big on accessories as I think they can make the simplest of outfits look cool. I have a huge collection of hoop earrings and I wear them almost everyday and everywhere. They’re very versatile so I’d actually recommend other people to get at least a pair of hoops for themselves.

For shoes, I mostly wear sneakers as they’re very stylish yet super comfortable. And because of the rise of this athleisure trend, you can actually wear it with anything and everything. I mostly pair them with dresses. I like carrying a medium sized bag that fits all my essentials but is still light and easy to lug around.

Is there anything that you would never wear?
I was gifted this grey gown some time ago and I haven’t touched it. It has a maxi fit and looks appallingly plain and boring. I don’t think this gown will flatter anyone and I don’t ever plan on wearing it.

In a more general sense, I don’t like mesh and fishnet stockings and I don’t think I’ll ever wear those. Again, I don’t think it flatters anyone. And I actually don’t get why people wear them in the first place! It doesn’t provide any warmth and it doesn’t make you look stylish. So, why wear them?

What is your everyday skincare and makeup routine?
Having a clean face before you start doing your makeup is very important. So the first thing I do is wipe my face with a cleansing wipe and apply toner. I like putting on some moisturizer – I use Johnson’s Baby Cream – before moving on to foundation. I also mix a little bit of foundation with the Johnson’s Baby Cream because doing this creates the right kind of texture that is easy to blend into your skin. After this, I fill in my eyebrows, and then apply mascara and lipstick. I finish my look with a touch of blush.

I also apply a homemade turmeric based face pack every week. I wash it off after letting it sit on my skin for 10-15 minutes.

What are you planning to wear this Dashain?
I enjoy dressing up during festivities because it’s one of those few times in a year that I dress in traditional wear. This Dashain, I’m planning to wear flare style kurta set that is very trendy these days. I’ll style it with a pair of cage earrings. I’m also planning on wearing a pair of golden shoes as I think that particular shade just screams festivals. I also really like bangles and wear them very often during festivals

 
• modeling
 
• fashion
 
• style