Indian-Born Fashionista Roopal Patel makes it Her Business to Decide What You Wear
By Shumaisa Rehman

Roopal Patel is as en Vogue as it gets. Her job as the Fashion Director of women’s wear at NYC’s Bergdof Goodman qualifies her as a de facto style arbiter. A front row regular at Fashion Week in New York, Milan, and Paris, she works along-side top designers and fashion editors recognizing the most unique and bodacious styles of the season, and choosing which of these are to become the next high-fashion trends. Many iconic celebrities consider Roopal a trusted fashion consultant, and she is often sighted hanging out and vacationing at exclusive hot spots through out the cosmopolitan world.

In the past decade, Roopal has worked for various designers and publications, including a stint as the marketing editor for style.com, the online home of Vogue. Currently, in addition to her position at Bergdorf, she works as a freelance style critic. Here, Roopal answers some questions about being an Indian woman in the fashion industry, what it means to have ‘style’, and some of this season’s most essential trends.

Roopal, as a fashion critic and director of woman’s fashion at Bergdorf Goodman, you’ve had constant exposure to the most beautiful, fashion-conscious and elite people in the world. Is there anything you’ve noticed that sets these trend-setters apart? In other words, what do you think makes a person ‘stylish?’

	Bergdorf Goodman Website

Personally, what I think is stylish is when a person puts her own personal signature on her look. For example, I like mixing and matching: I’ll pair a haute couture top with a pair of vintage jeans. I don’t think that women look amazing because of the clothing they are wearing. Really, it is about the woman giving off an air of confidence that she, herself, feels beautiful. Style comes from the inside out.

Many Indian women complain that Western clothing is often not an appropriate fit for their body type. Would you agree?
I don’t think there is such a thing as the Indian body type! Of course, the female form differs among women and it is up to the woman in particular to buy the clothing – pants, skirts, shapes, designs - that fit her best. When designers make clothes for women, they’re not thinking of a particular cultural group; they simply think of the female form in general. [Designers] love the fact that women come in all different shapes and sizes, and different heights.

The fashion industry, especially at the editorial level, has made an effort in the last ten years to diversify it when it comes to age and size. For instance, I have often seen Vogue shoot designer clothing on pregnant women and showcase clothing for women in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s . In Style magazine is also showing and highlighting designer clothing on actresses with different shapes and sizes as well.

As an Indian woman, do you ever feel that there are different expectations placed on you by the industry you to dress or accessorize in a certain way? For example, do you ever feel that people have the attitude, “Oh Roopal would look great in a sari”?
No. Neither in social circles nor in the fashion community do people expect me to wear anything except what I feel most comfortable in, what makes me feel beautiful, happy and confident. I don’t think being of Indian origin has affected my position in the fashion industry. My job is to see what the trends are in fashion and to help my buying team make sense of what designers are trying to tell us. At the end of the day, I think my job really does require someone non-biased and without a cultural position at all times.

What are some of the fashion houses that you feel have consistently been at the cutting edge of fashion? Which do you admire for their innovation and high quality?
Designers evolve every single season but there is a consistent standard of classic and chic that is maintained each time. One of the greatest fashion houses is Chanel. Coco Chanel has definitely redefined the way women dress. [Recently], designer Karl Lagerfeld has taken over the house and evolved Coco's vision to a point where women love wearing Chanel regardless of whether they are in their 30s or in their 60s. To me, that is a sign of a veritable fashion house.

One of my personal favorites is Marc Jacobs who is not only a great designer, but has diversified his collection to everything from haute couture to shoes and home designs. Then I see a whole new crop of designers that are exploding onto the fashion scene such as Zac Posen and Peter Som. These designers are really taking American fashion into a whole new level.

How is your relationship with other fashion critics, such as Anna Wintour and Leon Tally, the editors at Vogue? And, as a buyer for Bergdof Goodman, how much does editorial critique influence your purchasing decisions?
I maintain very strong relationships with editors at different magazines. We definitely talk and share information on fashion and [recent] collections. As a fashion buyer and critic, it’s crucial to know what is featured in the pages of magazines. Our team here, at Bergdorf, is quite exceptional in keeping a close eye on the collections and also understanding what will be sellable to our clients. As fashion buyers, the needs and desires of our clientele are always in our minds.

So, who actually determines which trends are hip and chic? Is it the designer/fashion house, the reviewers, the retailers, or the consumers?
The designers are the innovators…absolutely! You have designers from New York, from Paris, from Milan, from all over the world. Each season, when the design houses have shows, the retailers and fashion editors collectively decide the major trends. Retailers buy collections according to these trends, and editors and the magazines push for them. Finally, it is the consumer who is buying it.

What have been some of the interesting trends in women’s attire?
Definitely, what is called vintage eclectic was the style concept of the fall. Imagine going into your granny’s closet and pulling together a fur shrug, a three quarter length sleeve boucle jacket and some type of chiffon blouse or scarf neck blouse. Pair it off with a paired off with a beautiful skirt, and embellish it with something deco or a diamonte brooch and you have a perfect fall day outfit.

On the haute couture side, there was a definite return to old Hollywood glamour from the 40’s or 50’s, when actresses wore amazing long gowns and gorgeous baubles and had their hair perfectly coifed hair.

Of course, we now have a whole theme of new trends for the Spring.

What are some of your favorite accessories?
For bags, I am crazy about Louella Bartley, an English designer. Raffi Bags also has some phenomenal designs. Mulberry has a new collection which is being called the new IT bag in London.

What pieces would you suggest as wardrobe staples for every woman?
I think it goes without saying that every woman should have certain items in her closet. The perfect black dress is a must because it is accessible for both day and night. A ¾ sleeve length jacket is an amazing item which can be paired up with a skirt for the office or a camisole and jeans for dinner or an evening at a bar. I definitely believe in the perfect shoe, and I also think investing a little bit more in a perfect sandal or a great bag is important. It all comes down to mixing and matching and having fun!

Photograph by Dominic Sidhu