Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the maximalist world of artist, Tulsi Prasad
image via @wakeuptulsi/INSTAGRAM
as told to daisy henry
“I wear what I want, when I want and how I want.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
These are the stories behind the wardrobes, exploring how we develop our own personal style. There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story.
This week, we’re catching up with Tulsi Prasad, a model and multidisciplinary artist. Dividing her time between Sydney and New York, Tulsi treats getting dressed as another form of art. “I see styling as if I’m painting; just myself this time,” she says.
Tulsi’s mother’s confidence with clothing set the tone early, giving her a blueprint for learning to trust her own taste. From there, Tulsi built a wardrobe by experimenting, collecting denim, secondhand finds and of course, inherited pieces from her mum. “I’ve always liked being kind of ‘strange’ with it.”
Beyond that, Tulsi draws inspiration from everywhere, including “the shapes the earth creates, waves, trees and shadows,” and “emotion translated through colours and silhouettes”. The result is a style that is expressive, intuitive, and full of contrasts. From her sarees and lehengas, to a thrifted leather coat she scored in New York for $20, it’s a playful mix of high and low.
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Fashion Journal: Hey Tulsi! Tell me about yourself and what you like to wear.
Tulsi: I’m someone who loves to enjoy life! I love to create so I’ll call myself an artist of all sorts. I do curly hair, model, paint, sew, dance and create a vibe. I honestly love connecting with people. We can dance, sing, eat – I love all those things.
What has your style evolution looked like?
My style evolution actually rocks. I feel like I have really grown into my style a lot, I wear what I want, when I want and how I want. I’ve always liked being kind of ‘strange’ with it and because I have experimented so much, my style now is a rich combination of everything. I’ve gained so much confidence over the years but I’ve always trusted that if I like my outfit, then it must be fire. I have good taste simply because I like it.
My mum also has great style and has definitely influenced me. She’s a very confident woman, so seeing her dress how she wanted to with such confidence was a great example.
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Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
I’ve often felt like what I wear is ‘too much’ or too different from everyone else. In saying that, I was always sure that what I was rocking was nice, even if sometimes I wasn’t. But it didn’t matter. Growing up I was always the ‘odd’ one out, so if everyone was going to look anyway, what’s the difference if I’m in something totally random?
I think we’ve all felt like we need to fit a particular box with how we dress. We want to look a certain way, thinking we need expensive things, or wanting to fit in with those around us, but I don’t feel like that anymore. Fashion is cool like that – it brings people together, and bring us closer to ourselves and our ancestors.
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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Who or what was inspiring your style at the time?
I don’t regret my teenage years, but I wouldn’t do it again. There was a lot of ill-fitting high rise, and sneakers with my ankles and legs out hahaha. I don’t know why but I loved ankle socks.
What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
My most expensive piece are my traditional clothes, including my sarees and lehengas. Next would be my heels and my coats! I have two long leather jackets with fluffies, one black, one white.
My least expensive items would be everything else. A lot of my clothes are my mother’s or thrifted. But a current favourite is a pair of pants that look like a skirt that I found while travelling in Thailand.
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What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
All of my clothes have a story and mean something to me, but one standout item is a low-rise pair of jeans my mum gave me. They fit like a glove. I remember trying them on when I was 15 and I felt so fabulous! She wore them all the time, so I love them because of that.
I also have this soft, grey leather jacket with ruffles on the front and a funny collar that I thrifted on my first day in New York on my own. I’ll never forget that day and how amazing it was. It was $20!
Who or what influences your style?
My mum, music, culture, art and the world all inspire me. And when I say world, I mean nature, people, love and humanness; the shapes the earth creates, waves, trees and shadows; feeling and emotion translated through colours and silhouettes; where people come from and what people have come up with and how it relates to their culture.
I see styling as if I’m painting; just myself this time.
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What fashion piece are you saving for right now?
I’ve been saving for a super cute Jean Paul Gaultier mesh dress. There’s also this cool brand called Lovett that has some sick bandage pieces I want to get my hands on , as well as a dress from Cybersweetie and Mirror Palais. Honestly, I could keep going… I’ve been stopping myself from buying anything as I’m a shopaholic with no wardrobe space!
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
I always wear my low rise jeans – flared, skinny and baggy. I also love my jorts, pashmina, cowboy boots, denim wedge heels, a simple crop top, mini shorts and a flowy maxi skirt! Everything goes with everything, I’m always repeating outfits!
Who are your favourite local designers?
I’m loving Niamh Galea, Speed, Ssanctuaire, Haluminous, Mary Argy and Joseph McHugh. They’re killing it, I need it all! Everyone is so creative and is taking it to the absolute max. It’s easy to feel like not much is going on here when we’re so far away from the rest of the world, but this whole community is growing and we are seeing art from people like we’ve never seen before.
Keep up with Tulsi here.
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