Nawaz Modi Singhania (47) is a busy woman. We land at her palatial residence near Hughes Road at the scheduled time, but she is running late. We soak in the ageing aesthetics of the house — antique wooden furniture, shelves stacked with old books on law, a massive open terrace, and some canvas artwork by Modi herself. She joins us after 20 minutes, and excitedly show us her eclectic collection of belly button rings, traditional Parsi garas, her favourite perfumes, and more.
The good old story: “Garas are the traditional saris worn by Parsis. Some of my garas have been conceptualised and designed by me. One of my favourites is the purple gara — it features motifs of the weeping willow, bamboos, Japanese pagodas, men and women in their traditional clothes, storks and more.”
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Accessorise it: “I have a thing for big rings. The funkier, the better. I also have quite a collection of belly rings. I pick them up from various places, but have found the best collection to be at Claire’s. Unfortunately, the giant chain is not doing well in India.”
Closet staples: “Belly rings, funky jewellery, shorts, jumpsuits and cut work dresses.”
{{/usCountry}}Closet staples: “Belly rings, funky jewellery, shorts, jumpsuits and cut work dresses.”
{{/usCountry}}Latest obsession: “I recently discovered the red lipstick. I wear it to all sorts of occasions.”
On the road: “I try to look for more local flavours when I travel. My favourite places to shop, especially in London, would be Oxford Street and Regent Street. In New York, it is Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. I recently bought some party wear from Macy’s.”
Scent of a woman: “My current favourite fragrance is Carnal Flower. I bought it from a store in Paris, France. My husband (industrialist Gautam Singhania) recently bought a Versace perfume thinking it’s for men. However, it turned out to be a women’s fragrance, and I kept it.”
Read more: Singer Neeti Mohan gives a sneak peek into her closet
No stilettos please: “I wear a lot of both — flats and heels. I prefer wedges because my ankles are hyper flexible and turn on their sides very easily, so stilettos don’t work for me. Two of my favourite shoes are from Miu Miu and Charles David.”