Fashion
Faith & Fashion:
Singh Street Style's Pardeep Singh Bahra
An Interview by JENNIFER SHYUE
The Dastar ("turban" in Punjabi) is an article of faith that Sikh men wear to cover their unshorn hair. They have also proved glamorous on the fashion and style scene.
Now, faith and fashion are seamlessly joined in Singh Street Style, a three-month-old street style blog that began as founder Pardeep Singh Bahra's personal fashion diary but soon expanded to showcase the sartorial exploits of other sharply dressed Sikh-British men. I spoke to the Essex resident and recent university graduate via e-mail.
Describe the moment when you decided to capture the style of young Sikh men through photography. What did you hope to achieve with the blog, and how are you spreading the word?
I wanted to show the individuality of each Sardar through not only the way they dress, but also the way they tie their turban, and I wanted to highlight how the turban complements the outfit, but also gives him more character. I wanted to also give everyone around the world a new way to look at fashion, and to hopefully open doors for Sardars that want to get into fashion. I also want to encourage young Sikhs to take pride in wearing a turban.
How do you decide who to photograph? How do you find your subjects?
I either stop people on the street, or people email me or people suggest names of those that they feel have good style.
What are your thoughts on how designers are incorporating turban-inspired headwear into their collections? Have you seen more Sikh men embracing the dastar in their personal style?
I think it's good to embrace different cultures, and to fuse different cultures together. It's a beautiful thing to see. Recently I have noticed people are taking more pride in their turban.
In what other ways has your Sikh heritage impacted you?
It has taught me to love all people from different backgrounds and faiths, but also taught me that I was personally born to stand out and to look different. It taught me to be compassionate but also fearless.
What are your plans for Singh Street Style and yourself going forward?
Spreading the message of love, positivity and equality and hopefully continuing to give back to the Sikh community.
[Courtesy: Asia Society. Edited for sikhchic.com]
June 19, 2013
Conversation about this article
1: I. Singh (Chelmsford, Massachussetts, USA ), June 20, 2013, 3:13 PM.
Great effort by Pardeep Singh. Even though the interview focuses on the "young", the youngest of the young -- Fauja Singh -- takes the medal for the Best Singh Street Style Model of all time! Awesome picture of 102-year old Fauja Singh!