<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/aug/Food-Scenes-c.jpg" alt="" />
Designer Anavila Misra and filmmaker Gauri Shinde are two busy friends, who meet once a year but pick up from where they left. &ldquo;You have tied up your hair! I love curly hair,&rdquo; exclaims Misra when she sees Shinde, who has rushed from a Sunday morning meeting. &ldquo;Let me apply lipstick so I look presentable,&rdquo; says Shinde, breaking into a smile.
Misra has just wrapped up fittings for a show that will close a day dedicated to sustainable fashion at an upcoming fashion week.
Shinde, who gained critical acclaim for English Vinglish and Dear Zindagi, does not have a stylist and prefers that her work does the talking. And yet, they find it possible to bond over fashion, among other loves.
Shinde excitedly orders Millet Upma and Waffle &amp; Pop. Misra picks Lord Cubbon's Vice, an English breakfast where she skips the bacon. Sipping on coconut water, the duo roll into a conversation that's filled with laughter, mutual respect and high fives.
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Sabhnani: You share a love of handlooms. Shinde: Yes. I like anything that is in its natural form and uplifts local arts. To break stereotypes, I would love to wear a simple saree like Anavila's for a wedding. Misra: Making a handloom piece is a 15-day process even before the yarn sits on the loom. Once you witness it, you can't return [to artificial fibres]. Unlike what's usually perceived, it's not difficult to work just with handlooms. Some will like my work; others will wonder what's got into her.
<img title="Ad and feature film director Gauri Shinde and fashion designer Anavila Misra at Monkey Bar, Bandra. Pics/Sameer Markande" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/aug/Food-Scenes.jpg" alt="Ad and feature film director Gauri Shinde and fashion designer Anavila Misra at Monkey Bar, Bandra. Pics/Sameer Markande" /> Ad and feature film director Gauri Shinde and fashion designer Anavila Misra at Monkey Bar, Bandra. Pics/Sameer Markande
Sabhnani: What makes up your wardrobe? Shinde: I drift from luxury to high street to street. Celebs are under a lot of pressure to look good. People have thrown those things at me too, 'How come you don't have a stylist?' Picking your clothes is the most basic thing. If I open my wardrobe and can't figure what to wear, I would consider myself handicapped. But there are special occasions when I realise that I don't have anything to wear. But here, Anavila can open her store to pick an outfit! We have wardrobes; she has a store [both laugh]. Misra: You should never push yourself. If someone enjoys what he or she wears, they will look good in it. I might have the right clothes, but on busy days, it gets difficult to choose. I'm more organised now, I plan my outfits ahead according to my schedule.
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Lunch arrives Shinde: I have never had a savoury waffle. [Bites into the chicken] This is very good! Misra: Left to myself, I would survive on fruit and salad. Eating a chapati is so tiring. Shinde: Please tell me more about this strange side of you. This is laziness at a different level. Misra: [Laughs] As a kid in Karnal, we had a huge kitchen garden, which was full of fruits and vegetables and we would pluck and eat everything fresh. Sabhnani: Both of you avoid the formulaic route. Shinde: Who will have the b***s to make this film was the question with English Vinglish. The protagonist was a mature housewife, in a saree. Everything was against me. Someone suggested that since Sridevi is in the film, I need to have her dance! It's why I also produced it. Either I make the film my way or I don't make it all. The same people who doubted me, chased me to produce Dear Zindagi, but I said no. Misra: Wedding wear generates the most revenue. But whether I would enjoy doing it was the question. I asked myself, what will I wear if I love a saree and thought, 'Let's try linen.' When the first saree reached me, the weaver told me, 'Ma'am, humne bhej dia hai, par kaun pehenega yeh?' When I opened the courier, it felt like the birth of a child. This is what I wanted. It remains one of the happiest moments of my life.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/aug/Food-Scenes-b.jpg" alt="" /> Sabhnani: What would you like to change about your industries? Shinde: The name! I think we will start making more original content if we stop mimicking. And yes, clean toilets for women in the industry. We don't want shared toilets; men don't know how to use toilets. And, we need to stop giving importance to who says what on Twitter. Misra: Let's focus more on design. I feel designers are treating themselves as a mere resource centre for garments and textiles.
Also see:&nbsp;<a title="Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister" href="http://www.mid-day.com/photos/then-and-now-smriti-iranis-journey-from-a-model-to-union-minister/14318" target="_blank">Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister</a><a title="Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister" href="http://www.mid-day.com/photos/then-and-now-smriti-iranis-journey-from-a-model-to-union-minister/14318" target="_blank"> <img title="Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/aug/smriti-irani-lll.jpg" alt="Then and Now: Smriti Irani's journey from a model to Union Minister" width="592" height="393" /></a>

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We are privy to free-spirited, bold ideas and the handloom-inspired wardrobes of director Gauri Shinde and designer Anavila Misra as they bond over common loves

Behind the scenes: Gauri Shinde and Anavila Misra bond over common loves

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Behind the scenes: Gauri Shinde and Anavila Misra bond over common loves

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