A web fashion boss in search of the perfect shirt
"I've spent a lot of time looking for the perfect shirt. Even when I've managed to find one, it's been difficult to find another one next season," says Narain, who worked in advertising and e-commerce in New York before relocating to Hong Kong three years ago.
So it's no surprise to see some examples of her favourite style staple when she opens her wardrobe in her apartment in Happy Valley. "I stock up on sleek shirts, and also the preppy-looking Brooks Brothers kind," she says. "I like them a bit oversized, so they can give me some room to move."
Shirts, she says, are a great choice for both day and night wear: "For a professional look, I wear a silk shirt with a pencil skirt and pumps. For a night out, my uniform consists of pairing a shirt with skinny jeans, statement heels, and a little sneak peek of a flirty brassiere, as I wear it buttoned down," she says.
Narain also has a thing about colourful prints and patterns. There are Philip Lim 3.1 printed silk pants, items from "Queen of Prints" Diane von Furstenberg and a hand-embroidered ethnic jacket she bought during a trip to India.
Narain is daring about her colour choices. Her collection includes a royal blue lace one-piece, a tangerine jersey dress and a neon yellow skirt. Her go-to brands include Alexander McQueen, Germain and Alice + Olivia. A "separates girl", she's not one to go for a matchy-matchy style.
"If I'm going to wear a pair of crazy printed pants, I'll match them with a black or white top and add jewellery and accessories to give it an extra pop of colour," she says.
There's a sea of luxury basics in her wardrobe, including T-shirts and denim from labels Vince and J Brand. "My shopping habit is perhaps a little obsessive," she says, laughing. "If I find something I like, I'll keep buying. I probably have a tonne of J Brand jeans in every colour, cut and shape I could find. My T-shirts have their own labels in the closet: long sleeves, short sleeves, V-necks and round-necks."
Narain says a good leather skirt is the way to pull off a wintery look. "Anything with a leather skirt - that's my 'I don't know what to wear tonight' outfit," she says.
As for jewellery, she likes it big and bold. She buys costume necklaces and earrings from high-street labels, and colours them herself with neon acrylic paints from a craft shop.
Along with her hold-it-all "Mary Poppins" bag from Jimmy Choo, favourite bags include a red metallic Versace satchel, a gold quilted Marc Jacobs boxy purse and a Pierre Hardy geometric-print clutch.
"I love the geometric prints on that so much - it's edgy, with a little colour. I gave it to my graphic designer for inspiration when I was creating the logo for Vaughan," she says.
Narain's neatly organised shoe closet stocks sky-high heels by the likes of Alaia, Christian Louboutin, Nicholas Kirkwood, Sergio Rossi and Giuseppe Zanotti. "I only wear flats or super-high heels. In fact, I wear heels so often that when I'm in flats I feel the need to walk on tiptoes, as I feel short," she says.
To keep her beloved fashion finds organised, Narain makes a point of editing her closet once a month. "I'm very strict," she says. "I have a 'If you haven't worn it for a year, throw it away' policy.
"But that doesn't apply to evening wear, which I'll keep. It actually seems to make it easier if you edit your closet regularly."
