Last year, supermodel and fashion influencer Rahi Chadda was recognised as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30. And this year, he graced the cover of Elle, March 2023 issue. What does he have to say about his phenomenal success so early on, that too as a person of South Asian origin? “It helps to have a clear vision and direction on what you would like to achieve and to be open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism. We are always a work in progress and we should always strive to achieve the best versions of ourselves. I’m really grateful to be in the digital age and having social media gave me a huge opportunity to share my creativity with the outside world and to build a community for myself. I started as a model in my late teens and with the introduction of social media, my career gradually became more focused on social media content creation. Naturally, the kind of projects when you’re starting is always different as you’re finding your feet in the industry. But they varied between fashion and commercial modelling as well as TVCs,” Chadda said in his recent interview with Asian Voice.
How it all began
And if his words suggest someone meticulous, he must be so. Beginning his work as a creator on social media in 2015, today he is the first ever brown male ambassador to front Dior Beauty, as well the muse for leading luxury brands such as Prada, Burberry, Hugo Boss Versace, Fendi and many more. In 2018, he walked the Cannes red carpet as an ambassador for Chopard Fragrances Also, at the moment, he is filming a leading role for a Netflix series to be released end of this year.
But Chadda’s life began quite differently. He studied law at Oxford Brookes University and followed it up with an MSc from the London School of Economics. Speaking about his transition from something safe and secure to something very daring for someone belonging to a Punjabi immigrant family, he told Asian Voice, “I’ve been lucky to experience different professions, especially during my time when I was pursuing Law. I also worked in retail and hospitality for some time when I was younger and that helped me realise what direction I would like my life to take. Whilst I appreciated the stability my other professional experiences gave me, being a creative has taught me so much more and that’s why I love doing this the most. Choosing a career as a creative had its own set of challenges, it was a shock for my parents originally as it was a path they couldn’t relate to but it was encouraging for me to have their support.”
After all, it is no easy feat for a South Asian male to venture into the world of the unknown, and even more importantly, express themselves. And for Rahi, fashion, and the way he clothes himself, has always been about that. “I always say fashion is a form of self-expression for me; it’s a reflection of one’s personality. My parents worked in the textile trade and I would accompany them to work during the weekends. That whole experience growing up and seeing them at work had a huge influence on me.”
On being global and brown
But apart from the social media boom and his own diligence, the general move towards inclusion and diversity has also worked in Rahi’s favour. After all, millions, including Rahi himself, did not even have someone to look up to all this while, which also makes him a trailblazer of sorts, of course. Speaking about this, he said, “When I first started out and whilst growing up in the West, I felt deprived of South Asian role models within fashion and media. It’s so pleasing to see the industry change, becoming more diverse and inclusive, particularly over the last 5 years. There are occupational hazards which I have encountered but I’ve never let them stop me from achieving my goals or causing limitations.”
So has he felt any pressure to conform, considering that the brands might come into the room with fixed notions about how he should be? After all, in an interview with Vogue India, he had talked about often being the only South Asian amongst his peers in fashion weeks. When prodded about that, he told us, “Not a pressure to conform, and what I meant by that (his Vogue India interview) was that we still have a long way to go in terms of expanding when it comes to representation even though we have come such a long way. The job itself can feel pressurising as fashion week entails a lot of work and responsibility in terms of creating content, fitting, attending shows and still being present at the moment. But it’s important to enjoy the experience whilst working.”
Rahi’s Creative Process
As somebody who is both British and Indian, we asked Rahi if he could share some details of his creative process. After all, while he has been making waves as a model, as someone who started out by creating looks on social media, his heart and soul have been on creating and presenting content for brands. So how does he collaborate with all the big names and balance his ideas and influences with those of the leading brands whom he sports? “It’s important to understand the vision and objectives of the brand, whilst remaining true to your creative vision,” he told us.
So how does he curate a particular look in general? What are his influences other than his known love for street styles? “I take inspiration from things around me: culture, food, and travelling, and that inspires me when creating and deciding the direction I would like to take for my content. I enjoy working with my stylist Adele Cany. We love to Moodboard our inspirations and curate looks which define my style sensibility while keeping my style DNA at the core of each look. It’s like taking different elements and creating something which is an elevated version of myself.”
Another thing that interests Rahi a lot is skincare. As someone who struggled with acne and regular visits to the dermatologist as a teenager, Rahi opened his skin-clinic Panache and Marina Skin & Aesthetic Clinic in London at the age of 21. About this venture, he said, “Panache and Marina was a passion project, which I started in 2015. I was quite young when I opened the business and understanding customer service equipped me with a useful set of skills. We specialised with lasers and settings which were suitable for all skin types.”
While signing off, we asked Rahi what advice he had for the South Asian males dreaming about a career in fashion, especially the struggling or the scared ones. “My advice would be to persevere and to really maintain confidence in yourself. Also, trust the process!”
