We recently connected with Sarah Hooda-Virani and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I met a local Indo-Pak Couture designer, Zain Lalani a few years ago and I decided to get some traditional Pakistani pieces designed from her. I’ve always had a crazy passion for styling, designing and putting fashion pieces together, ESPECIALLY Pakistani/Indian fashion. I take so much pride in my culture and background and I may be biased but I truly feel that our clothes are so beautiful and colorful and I love how I can really express myself through different patterns, fabrics and colors. I have never been so understood by a designer before like I am by Zain and her brand, Zlalani. She truly GETS me and my style, sometimes, crazy-all-over-the-place style and she just goes with it each time! So, now I sketch my designs for her, we bounce off of each other’s ideas and she brings my sketches and visions to life, quite literally! She lets me be me but also keeps me grounded at times by saying “no girl I’m not letting you wear that!” We’re such a great team and I get to do what I love!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Well, hi, I’m Sarah Hooda-Virani! 28 years old, Pisces, Pakistani-American born and raised in Atlanta, GA, married to the most incredible and beautiful man, love traveling, so far my favorite place has been Paris! I’m a crazy dog lady, put a dog, any dog in front of me and my crazy squealing voice will come right out! I’ve always been into “taking pictures” all my friends know to dress up wherever we go cause “Sarah’s gonna bust out her camera!” I fell in love with fashion around 2018 when my husband took up photography and he began styling me in different looks. I have to say, my fashion sense before I met hubby was awful so the credit really goes to him! And now, I’m obsessed with styling fashion pieces and that includes the whole look, from the hair to the makeup to the accessories, everything and basically my husband is now my insta-hubby who takes pretty photos of me and that’s the short and sweet version! I’m also a makeup artist, I was taking a bunch of clients a few years ago but then I got busy with school and my full-time job! I still love makeup and still really enjoy glamming people up. What I would really like for people to know about me is that I’m not stuck up, self-centered, conceited and cocky. I feel like people look at me in person or on social media and think I’m not approachable but I promise I am! I’m nice I swear and I love people and making friends and I’m super outgoing and I think I’m funny at times? I don’t know, maybe that part is questionable! But I absolutely love sharing my fashion and photography tips, makeup tips, I’m an open book! I will always tell you where I got something and how much it costs! That’s me, in a nutshell!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?
This sounds so clichè, I’m fully aware of it but it is so, so true! Being able to connect with people you’ve never even seen or met in real life is the best! Obviously when it’s a kind and positive interaction! I have had so many people message me, opening up to me about their personal struggles, just to be able to vent or to ask for my advice. Advice! From little old ME! Just having someone be vulnerable to you like that and trust you, and believe in your advice really makes you feel like you are making a difference in someone’s life. And I did that, just by having fun, doing what I love, being myself and posting whatever I want on instagram. And don’t even get me started on the kind messages I receive on the daily. People ARE nice!! They really are!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
“She’s so extra.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that to my face and behind my back. Or comments like “you post so much” or “knowing sarah, it’s gonna end up on instagram.” Yes, I do post a lot, yes I love taking photos and yes maybe I am extra! I’m always the overdressed one at any event, even if I’m not actually overdressed! I feel like people tend to look at me and immediately make up their mind about me and judge me to be some cold, superficial girl who only cares about how she looks. I’m so much more than my physical appearance and my clothing. Behind the makeup and the hair is a girl who is attracted to personality over looks, you could have all the luxury items in the world, all the things that money could buy but if you don’t genuinely have a kind heart, I want to have nothing to do with you. People who aren’t into the creative space, fashion, beauty and social media may think I’m too much. I think I just want people to know that just because they aren’t into something, or comfortable with being on social media or in front of a camera, doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there who are! Let’s be real, every other person on the internet is an “influencer” now so let’s just normalize it, shall we?!
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