If someone had asked me about fashion when I was a child, I probably wouldn't have had an answer.
I didn't know what fashion meant.
I didn't know anything about fabrics, fits, or styles.
But looking back today, I think my journey with fashion had already begun.
I remember believing something very simple.
If I wanted to look like a grown-up, I had to wear what the elders wore.
To me, my father represented what being a grown-up looked like. So, without even thinking about it, I believed that dressing like him was part of becoming an adult.
That was my first introduction to fashion, although I didn't realise it at the time.
Then school began.
Every year, getting a new school uniform felt special. I can still remember the smell of a brand-new uniform and the excitement of wearing it for the first time. At that age, I wasn't thinking about whether it was cotton or polyester, slim fit or regular fit.
It was simply new.
And that was enough to make me happy.
Then came the festivals.
For me, festivals always meant new clothes.
That was when I slowly started noticing colours. Some colours attracted me more than others, although I still didn't know anything about fabrics, fits, or quality. My choices were simple. If I liked the way something looked, I liked it.
As I grew older, another influence quietly entered my life.
Movies.
Like many children growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, I watched actors on television and in films and thought,
"That's fashion."
Without realising it, I started borrowing ideas from the people I admired on the screen. Their clothes, their colours, and their style quietly influenced my own choices.
Years passed.
Without planning it, my relationship with fashion began to change.
I found myself choosing certain colours again and again.
I started paying attention to how different fabrics felt.
I noticed that some clothes looked good but didn't feel comfortable, while others felt right the moment I wore them.
For the first time, I began to understand that fashion wasn't only about appearance.
It was also about comfort.
Confidence.
And feeling like yourself.
Then I realised something else.
Fashion wasn't just about clothes anymore.
The watch I wore.
The bag I carried.
The shoes I chose.
Even the smallest details had quietly become a reflection of my personality.
Looking back, I realised that fashion wasn't about becoming someone else.
It was about slowly discovering what felt right for me.
Today, we have more choices than ever before. Different colours, fabrics, fits, and styles are available with just a few clicks. Finding clothes has never been easier.
But I believe the journey of fashion remains the same.
It often begins with the people around us.
It grows through our childhood memories, our schools, our friends, and the films we watch.
And, over time, those influences blend with our own experiences to shape a style that is uniquely ours.
When I think about fashion today, I don't see it as following trends or wearing expensive brands.
I see it as a quiet journey of self-discovery.
A journey that, for me, began with a simple childhood thought:
"If I wanted to look like a grown-up, I had to wear what the elders wore."
Looking back now, I smile at that little boy.
Because without knowing it, he had already taken his first step into the world of fashion.