A Cup of Tea with Simran Randhawa
Simran Randhawa is a London-based journalist and model. She is known to showcase her pride in South Asian culture, whilst engaging her audience from topics as sustainable fashion, beauty, food and her personal journey as an Indian woman growing up in the UK. We spoke to Simran about her career highlights, cultural identity and her personal style.
Talk us through your background and different aspects of your career.
Simran is a model, journalist and an influencer in fashion, food and beauty. Her work revolves around her life experiences, for example as a young Asian woman and someone who had a fatherless upbringing. And she's a Slytherin!
What has been a career highlight for you? Or favourite article you've written?
Her Agent Provocateur campaign and her editorial shoot for Estée Lauder Companies are big highlights.
Throughout your career you have showcased your pride in South Asian culture in a way that others hadn't necessarily seen before in more mainstream culture. Have you always had a strong desire to do so?
"If I'm completely honest, it was never something that was super intentional" but it is such a large part of her identity so it was always going to be an inseparable part of being hyper-visible. Her experience itself is unique as she is from a Malaysian-Punjabi and Sikh background, spending her summer holidays with her family in Malaysia and growing up around food from both cultures.
How have you managed to grow and change as a young woman whilst having an online presence and certain expectations of you?
Having started sharing her life online when she was still so young, she explained that "for a while I struggled with the idea that I had to live up to the way that people perceived me and being that person as opposed to who I really was." But as she has grown and gotten older, she no longer feels that pressure.
How would you describe your personal style?
Her style is hugely influenced by living and growing up in London, from hanging out around Soho and being around her friends in the fashion industry, streetwear is what she feels most comfortable in. She has always loved comfortable and oversized pieces.
Top 5 picks of classic sneakers or trainers.
White Air Force 1's, Chicago Jordan 1's, Cool Grey Jordan 4's, Air Max 90s and a good pair of Nike Blazers.
What are some of your favourite brands right now?
She loves The Line by K, ALYX, Prada, MISBHV, Frankie Shop - any that aren't overly feminine! For beauty brands, she loves LIHA Beauty, Glossier and NARS (a fail-safe for brown girls!)
How do you incorporate sustainability into your life?
In an effort to live "more mindfully and intentionally", she tries to screen any PR that's sent to her and is trying to only buy items that she really wants or needs, making sure to sell old pieces as well. She is also really passionate about food waste (did you know 25 million slices of bread get thrown away every day?!)
What are your goals for 2021?
"To build my brand and strategy, focus on food stuff, feel more grounded, have a morning routine and be the best older sister than I can be."
If you could rent anyone's wardrobe - dead, alive or fiction, whose would it be?
"The main girl, Tara, in Made In Heaven (on Amazon Prime) has the best wardrobe of suits and sari's, I would love to rent hers!"