Wonder Woman Wednesday - Mira Patel

How do you express yourself through fashion? 
I’d say street style meets comfort. I try to always be comfortable in what I wear because that’s when you’re feeling good and confident. I always aim to also have some stylish statement accessories, such as bold earrings with a few layered necklaces or adding a few bracelets and rings into the mix. Gold and black are my favorite go-to collabs for my outfits! I always try out different styles and looks. When I was younger I always thought I could only pull of a certain color/style and realizing to make yourself feel confident is the key to rocking a look! 

What’s your desi style?
My desi style is always glitz and glam! The one thing I admire the most about the South Asian style is that no two outfits look the same! The pattern, choice of colors, embroidery is always so different and unique to each outfit. My favorite is to reach into my moms collection and wearing  sarees that you can no longer even find in the market or are extremely pricey due to the vintage styles. I’m so glad to have my moms collection because it really makes a connection to not only my mother, but my tradition as well. 

How did you stay connected to your culture as a brown girl living in America? 
My family. They are the main reason as to why I still hold onto my culture with a hard grasp. My environment caused me to lose my grip on my heritage when I was younger due to the bullying I received from being “different”, but as I got older I not only learned my value and the gem that the Indian culture — I also got into an amazing platform called Instagram and met others who were also not shying away from owning who they were. I now share my story with thousands of others who are looking to know they are accepted and love in society’s eyes. Breaking barriers and telling aunties to mind their own business is the new trend for brown girls and I am all for it! I am proud of be a Guju girl who will forever share her culture with everyone she meets!