I was in my second semester of college, still acquainting myself with the fashion world. Having been a fat kid before and conscious of myself, I didn’t pay much attention to what I wore. But things had changed since I joined college. I had lost a lot of weight and clothes became my best friends. My first fashion obsession was chinos. I bought them all, yellow, mustard, violet, maroon and the list goes on. And which brand to better make chinos with panache than Allen Solly. I bought around 15 of them and tried to sport a new one every day of the week. Clothes are often cited as a basic necessity in the triad of “roti, kapda, makaan” but clothes were now a means of establishing my identity. They allowed me to be bold, experimental, and unique, in my own subtle way. Allen Solly communicated a message that I found appealing, elegant but reinvigorating. Their designs were fresh but they followed a design philosophy which was consistent.
Van Heusen on the other hand, resonated with me because it exuded polish. I wore them seldom but they had a lot of impact. While we need to keep striving to improve in life, But being the best requires to push ourselves beyond what we're normally capable of, and it requires us to be selective of the occasion. This is what Van Heusen for me, stands for. It's niche, but in a way that it doesn't target a particular consumer, but a certain occasion. This makes it unique.
My journey with ABG doesn't end here but these few experiences are the ones I count as highlights. I believe being big in my life doesn’t mean I have to have used a wide variety of ABG products but that the few that I have made a difference.
The biggest challenge I have faced is adaptability; I have lived in Mauritius for five years and I came back to India when I was in the 9
th grade. On coming back, I realised the majority of the conversation took place in English and, I felt shy and awkward among my peers since I was not fluent with English. Moreover, most of them watched English movies, series and music which is something I did not have exposure to as they were not very popular in Mauritius. This lead to my developing an inferiority complex and I quickly became the target of bullies who exploited the fact that I did not speak up. I was scared of facing them and this lead to a vicious cycle of my becoming a timid child at school.
The first thing I learnt was to be more resilient about forces that try to discourage you from breathing freely. I was too sensitive and vulnerable and allowed myself to get bullied. I could have ignored these voices and reported the incidences of physical bullying to the authorities. I have since become mentally stronger and do not take insults personally.
I also learnt about strength in numbers and what it means to have a group of friends who would stand by you in difficult situations. I have had a decent group of friends I can approach to talk about personal issues and ask them for advice in difficult situations. Being in a group of friends also makes you less vulnerable to being targeted.
Ultimately why ABG is big in my life is that like the sun on its logo, I rise despite setting innumerably.