Cool and casual in a blue shirt, a pair of denims and sneakers, Rhea Pillai exuded a certain free spirit and a sense of calm. She was in town for a champagne brunch at CC&FC, where she also showcased her line of embellished shirts and T-shirts, among others. t2 caught up with her after she had had a “good day of work”.
What do you love about Calcutta?
I think the warmth. People are down-to-earth, warm, welcoming and they always want to feed you.
Are you a foodie?
I am not a big foodie, no, but I like the generosity of spirit. I am a pure vegetarian. I like mishti doi.
When did you start The Temple House by Rhea Pillai?
I actually started this at the end of 2016 and then I was doing other stuff which didn’t really excite me as much, though it was very beautiful, but I started the shirts and exactly what I create, two years ago. I just make whatever you wear on a regular basis, a little more dressy. I have also taken the T-shirt material and embellished one arm. Comfort is important to me. So, I cut the shirts a little easy on the body. When you walk in, people are going to look at you. Part of what I do is comfort-meets- couture. You couple the two and you feel great and look great. People tend to love it. It makes going out easier. That’s what I aim for and it’s not that steep.
It looks easy-breezy. Is that also your style?
Yes, easy-breezy and effortless. I don’t like a big deal made of it. I don’t like the drama and yet it looks dramatic.
How has your sense of style evolved?
I pretty much stayed the same. I like clean lines. Earlier, I was a buyer, today, I am behind the counter. That’s the big shift, but my aesthetics have remained the same. I have always loved Giorgio Armani. I like simplicity in what you do and how you wear things.
What are your favourite colours?
I love whites, creams, ivories, but I also love black. It gives you that sleek, slim fit. I just explore. I create and if I like, I move ahead with it... let it take shape. When I see the end product, I think would I wear it and if yes, I put it out and see if you like it. It has to be easy. I like everything about life to not be a big deal. Enjoy it, have fun, be kind.
What do you do to look after yourself?
What I do is I try not to complicate things. Life is complicated but if you keep a semblance of simplicity, that tells on your mental state. I teach meditation and yoga and have done that for 28 years. When I see somebody who needs it, I tell them to try breathing techniques. You tweak your own breath and see what difference it does to your state of mind. We are living in a lot of chaos and within that chaos, build a temple of love. You begin with yourself and say ‘I want to be healthy and happy and peace is important to me and yet I want to be productive’. And make a difference within your own life and whoever is in your vicinity will feel that and they will pass it on subsequently to people they meet. So, you are a part of this peace-forward movement without realising it.
What are your top tips for all the young girls who want to make it in the glamour industry?
Be true to yourself because many people have opinions on how you should do things and it comes from other people’s mindsets. Again I go back to meditating because it is a tool by which you understand who you are, where you want to go and what you want to be. Then you listen to that voice which is yours. Find yourself in this big world because there is one you and you must love you.
Queenie Singh wowed in red. The entrepreneur brought Jewels by Queenie and BiE (a ‘clean beauty’ brand) to the showcase at CC&FC’s pool pub. A quick chat with Queenie.
What’s the secret to looking so fab?
I am consistent and I have had a lot of discipline in my life for the last 20 years. I allot some time for my workout in the morning, which keeps your endorphins in check and gives your body that little bit of breathing. I keep things in balance. I am aware.
How many hours of me time do you reserve for yourself?
I don’t have any me time. If you have two brands and three children and a demanding husband, there is no me time! (Laughs) I keep dreaming of me time, but I haven’t had it. The thing that saps me sometimes are problems at home, but work never drains me.
Red is your colour...
Red was always my colour. I was captain of the house red in school. For some time, I stopped wearing red. Now I feel like I am back in red.
You showcased both skincare and jewellery...
We launched BiE, which is clean beauty, two years ago. Jewels by Queenie we’ve had for 20 years this year. It was a packed house and a different crowd.
Beauty is now so complex with the standards changing. How to declutter? What are your tips for a young girl?
The young girl wants to become Jennifer Lopez or Angelina Jolie or Rihanna or Dua Lipa. They have to understand that they can’t be.... My advice is to compete with themselves and try to be the better version of what they can be and push themselves to be the best version and find beauty within. If they strive in their journey, they will reach the place they want to go to. That is 100 per cent sustainable.
We started the brand for metamorphosis so that you can change at any point in your life. It was about beauty within oneself in everything. We make clean beauty so that you experience metamorphosis of the skin and when skin changes, life changes, in many ways. Loads of make-up don’t need to come on. Good products hold light make-up. I have daytime and nighttime routines for my skin. I clean my skin at night, I cleanse and wash.
How to mix and match your jewellery?
Jewellery is a translation of your personality. See what speaks to you. If you are wearing elaborate earrings, you don’t need a neckpiece. If you are wearing long earrings, try and wear a long necklace. If you are wearing a cuff, keep your ring light. Sometimes one or two pieces are enough. Good quality is something that always shows.
What are life’s mantras for you?
Prioritise your life. And, then set a goal to achieve it. Maybe for the day, not even life goals, because it makes you happy. It could be eight hours of work because that makes me happy. Life is short. You must enjoy it. Today when I look at my children grown up, I can’t imagine where life has gone. The fact that I still fit into the clothes I did 30 years ago, displaces me from reality sometimes. I look at my kids and say, my God, life is just going by and I have so much to say about my life. And, never say die. If you feel low, go again. You have failed in something, try it again because there is nothing that you cannot achieve if you want to achieve.
Finally, Calcutta means what to you?
Old-world charm, very non-jaded people and I love that. There is a certain class which is amazing.