Shriya Pilgaonkar on finding her own voice through fashion: When I dress up, I have to be happy and confident

EVer since puerility, Shriya Pilgaonkar has grown in an around the glamour domain with her parents face of the earth the successful actor-couple Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya Pilgaonkar. All the same, really early on, Shriya Pilgaonkar decoded how to make her own identity not just as an actor, but also through her fashion.“I've always dressed up for myself more than anything else. Trends don't excite me as much as dressing up for myself does. When I step out, I ask myself, what character do I want to be. Luckily, I get to do that for a living as well. When I dress up, I have to be happy and confident,” she says. Reflecting on her journey in fashion, Shriya states, “I'm at a place right now where I am having fun trying different things, and also developing my own style. You need to develop your own aesthetic and your own sense and that is something that I've learned from my mother.” And that is not all that she has taken from her mother's style. “My Aai has the most beautiful collection of sarees and not just my mother, but I've grown up seeing these beautiful saris worn by all the women in my family, which they've collected over the years. So, I have to look nowhere but in their closet for inspiration when I want to dress up. I personally love wearing Banarasi sarees. It's something that is very classic, that will never go out of style,” she says. Confessing her love for sarees, Shriya shares, “I feel the prettiest, the most elegant and even the sexiest in Indian wear, especially sarees. There is so much history, sensuality, comfort and grace in wearing a sari that everybody looks beautiful in it. And you can also add a fusion element to it, which can make it edgy as well.” She adds, “I thoroughly enjoy making traditional outfits edgy and making them contemporary, but without compromising on the traditional authenticity. Indian fashion has taken such a global stage, and it's nice to see how versatile it can also be. I enjoy breaking the pattern in those terms.” Ask her what sets this generation apart in terms of their style and Shriya says, “This generation knows how to balance style and comfort and they're also about being authentic. Today, the way you will stand out is by owning who you are, whether through your personality, your talent or your clothes, and being unapologetic about it. The times we're living in, confidence is the key.”Fashion Direction: Shara Ashraf Prayag MishraStyling: Shara Ashraf Prayag Mishra and Sameer KatariyaPhotographer: Priyankk NandwanaWords: Akash BhatnagarMakeup: Nicky RajaniHair: Umang ThapaLocation: Mayra Fashion Studio