Apeksha Binoj: India's youngest fashionista

Apeksha Binoj, now 13 and studying at The Winchester School Jebal Ali (UAE was born in Thrissur, Kerala in 2005. She has pursuing her passion for fashion designing since the age of seven. What influenced her to become a fashion designer was her first piece of art, her own birthday dress that she designed all by herself. With four records to her name at such a young age, she also has the title of being "the youngest fashion designer". She draws a lot of inspiration from Coco Chanel, a designer she adores.

"My parents are really supportive and encourage me a lot", says Apeksha when asked about who encourages her and her talent the most. Her first experience of designing clothes professionally and as a recognized designer was her first big fashion show Runway Dubai in the year 2016. She was not only the youngest but also the only Indian designer in the show. 

"You should learn to be creative and think in a different way from others" says Apeksha talking about the skills and knowledge one needs to have or develop when they enter the ever-dynamic fashion industry.

She further adds, "It is pretty difficult to manage school and fashion but I still try to give it my best shot." She intends to keep pursuing her career in fashion design and garner even more success and aims to pursue PhD in Fashion Designing. At such an early age, Apeksha also has a brand named "Apek" to her name, where she designs everything herself.

A piece of advice she has for any fellow or student – "Follow your dreams and research a lot."