Alaviaa Jaaferi

Aptitude & Authenticity

While her father's career in Bollywood is often spoken of reverentially, Alaviaa Jaaferi strives to carve a path of her own in fashion. With a degree from the sought-after Parsons School of Design, a multi-brand clothing company under her name and an enviable ”VSCO girl” Instagram feed, if there's one thing our muse has veritably mastered - it's aesthetics.

Photographs by Trupal Pandya; Styled by Tanya Ghavri; Styling assistance by Ekta Shah; Makeup by Anu Mariya Jose; Hairstyling by Kunj Sharma; Artist reputation management Communiqué Film PR; Creative Direction by Arthi Medithi; Words by Kajol Shah

The cultural zeitgeist of the 21st century has undeniably been shaped by a cohort of digital natives, whom we call ”influencers”. Among these trendsetters is famous actor and comedian, Jaaved Jaaferi's daughter - Alaviaa. PS: it's Uhl-vi-ya and not Alaa-via or ”Alive-ya”, a pronunciation contrived by someone from the crew, leaving everyone in stitches. ”That's a new one!” she quips. Fashion is Jaaferi's forte and her personal style screams 'cool Gen Z' as she arrives at the studio dressed in cargo pants, a grey tee and Nike sneakers. Prada spectacles and a scrunchie on the wrist complete her look. She gently finger-combs her freshly washed hair before greeting the team, releasing a scent redolent of a blossoming flower garden. In that moment, I yearn for technology that detects products based on aromas.

I've grown up in a very strict household. Dad would be very particular about certain things like what I should wear, and I had curfews like most teenagers.

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Designer, Payal Singhal; Ring & earrings, Vasundhara Jewelry

The Life of a Star Kid

Alaviaa hits the ground running with the photographer, discussing how the backdrop and outfits can be in alignment. Her keen interest in art direction mirrors her educational background in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons. ”The course included design thinking, which I enjoyed studying quite a lot. Living abroad, especially in NYC, has been a very inspiring experience. I met a lot of people from different cultures and backgrounds from all over the world, who would wear some of the coolest outfits. This is one of the major reasons I love to travel,” she shares as we head toward the changing room for trials.

”Believe it or not, I've grown up in a very strict household. Dad would be very particular about certain things like what I should wear, and I had a curfew like most teenagers. When I was abroad, I could do things on my terms, which was very liberating.” Celebrity kids - are they just like us? “I never felt like a celebrity's kid among my peers. The school that I went to (Dhirubhai Ambani International School) had a lot of people from similar backgrounds, with famous parents. Having said that, there was no differentiation between the rest of the students and us.”

I've never been inclined towards acting and I feel like there are people out there who are way more passionate about it than I am. I prefer doing what I do now

It's abundantly clear that rules of conduct apply to the privileged as well. But a conversation about privilege would be incomplete without addressing the chatter surrounding nepotism in Bollywood. Her take? Quite unprejudiced. ”No one can deny that it exists, right? I even owe the follower count on my Instagram to my father. But to a certain extent, it exists in every industry. If my dad was in fashion, he would do his best to make use of his contacts so I can get ahead in my career.”

Alaviaa Jaaferi in Mahima Mahajan Outfit

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Designer, Mahima Mahajan; Neckpiece & ring, Goenka India

So does Alaviaa have plans to enter Bollywood, I obviously want to know. “Can I get a chair without a headrest?” Alaviaa requests, as the hairstylist runs her magic wand aka the curler through her chestnut brown hair, before answering my query. While her elder brother Meezan made his debut in ace director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie, Malaal in 2019, our muse does not have any plans of getting into movies; at least not anytime soon. “I've never been inclined towards acting and I feel like there are people out there who are way more passionate about it than I am. I prefer doing what I do now. Maybe, I'll explore it a bit later in life, but it's not something I'm into right now,” she explains candidly, and with confidence before taking a swig of good ol’ H20 from her sipper.

Final spritzes of hair spray splashed, Alaviaa is now ready to roll in an exquisite gold Seema Gujral lehenga set. She rises to get a view of the lehenga in the mirror. While tending to the skirt's fit upon looking at her reflection, she tilts her head and continues thoughtfully, perceptibly still ruminating over the previous topic. “I do think it's unfortunate, the extent to which nepotism exists in Bollywood. I've seen my friends work very hard for a role for years, only for the opportunity to be snatched away by someone who knew the director. It's sad that there's not much that I can do about it.”

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Designer, Seema Gujral; Hair accessories, Roma Narsinghani; Earrings, Vasundhara Jewelry; Ring, Ishhaara

All About Aesthetics

The resound of camera clicks is reverberating in the room, Afro beats are playing in the background, and all eyes are on the photographer's laptop. Alaviaa hits the stride with the first shot itself; her stoic model-like expression could fool the uninitiated into believing she's been in the game for long. As a deluge of compliments come her way once we're done with the first look, I ask her to spill her Instagram secrets. ”I make a mood board on Pinterest using photos that I like and then I try to recreate the vibe, styling, poses, etc. Once you begin doing that, you automatically start developing a sense of aesthetic.” How is it that all the images look like they're professionally shot? I prod out loud. ”Oh, all the photos are taken on my iPhone only! I would recommend this app called Tezza to edit photos.”

With that tip, she turns to the hairdresser: ”listen, let's do something different with the hair no, otherwise it'll look very boring!” She picks up her next look, a lovely yellow Ridhi Mehra lehenga set, and makes her way to the dressing room. “My personal style has always been very experimental. I feel like it's ever evolving. I like to try new things and think out of the box when it comes to my overall styling.” Curious, I ask her to name an ethnic wear brand that aligns with her style preferences. ”I've been loving JADE by Monica and Karishma pieces lately!” she exclaims. Shameless plug incoming – Alaviaa's favourite label is available on Aza's website, you should check out what the hype is about!

I had thought of Vis a Via back in the second last year of college when I'd visit home and realized the lack of access to international brands to shop from. I started this brand along with my business partner, Nikita, to address this gap.

In 2020, when the world came to a standstill due to a certain pesky virus, a worldwide shutdown pushed many to bake banana bread, overdose on Dalgona coffee and develop new skills. A few discovered their true calling and started new ventures while confined to the four walls of their homes. Our cover star is one of them. ”I had to return to India unexpectedly as COVID hit a few months before my graduation. The initial plan was to work in New York for some time and learn more on the job before I started my own thing. But life had other plans.”

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Designer, Ridhi Mehra; Earrings & headgear, Yamoona; Ring, Ishhaara

Alaviaa is now in the cover look - a powder blue Payal Singhal contemporary lehenga set with a nearly backless georgette blouse characterized by a cut-work hem and cute multi-coloured tassel ties at the back. ”Ah, cold!” She flinches as the makeup artist sprays a glistening mist over her back. ”Anyway, as I was saying,” she giggles and continues, ”I had thought of Vis a Via back in the second last year of college when I'd visit home and realized the lack of access to international brands to shop from. I started this brand along with my business partner, Nikita, to address this gap.”

The Cool Tribe

While on the topic of new ventures, Prime Video released a preview of their exciting lineup of shows and movies for the year a few months ago. That's when we got to see a sneak peek of Alaviaa's upcoming series, The Tribe, backed by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. ”Young, unafraid and chasing an epic dream, The Tribe are a group of Indian influencers who have been set up to crack global fame in....Los Angeles! Are they ambitious or asking for trouble?” Reads Kjo's Instagram caption.

Spiffed up in a stunning black Charu & Vasundhara saree, Alaviaa, in conversation with the photographer, shows excitement for an upcoming music festival in California - Burning Man, to be precise. I use it as a segue to get more details on the LA based reality show. ”The founder of CollabTribe, which is a social media movement to bring together like-minded people, had reached out to me when I was in college. At that time, I was in New York; I visited all the girls later in LA, where the show was shot. So yeah, this has been in the works for a very long time, and I can't really say much more but I'm excited for everyone to watch it.” From whatever little we know, this sure looks like a fun ride.

Let's Talk Skin-Deep Beauty

I do this thing where I apply moisturiser over my face before applying makeup, followed by setting powder, setting spray and primer - in that order.

I'm up close and personal with Alaviaa – quite literally – as we sit on the couch, waiting for the backdrop to be set up. Her gorgeously contoured face with a seamless base prompts me to extract deets about her favourite makeup hacks. “I do this thing where I apply moisturiser over my face before applying makeup, followed by setting powder, setting spray and primer - in that order. I feel it gives me the perfect base.” That checks out. “Also, to accentuate my eyes, I use individual lashes at the corner of my eyes and for my lips, I love using lip tints because they don't fade away easily.”

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Designer, Charu & Vasundhara; Bangles & ring, Niramya Jewels

In the days leading up to this cover shoot, during which I scoured through Alaviaa's YouTube videos for research (and entertainment) purposes, I found myself in awe of her candor. In a recent video, she openly speaks about her undereye and lip fillers. From the dermatologists she has visited to the effectiveness of these treatments, she has revealed it all. “I've always been very open about my fillers; everyone gets them done and if it boosts your confidence, why not go for it? As for internet trolls, I keep in mind what people say is a reflection of themselves and not me.” She signs off with these words of wisdom.

From my brief interaction with Alaviaa, I deduce that she is more than just a star kid – she's creative, she's ambitious and she embodies the spirit of the unapologetic Gen Z tribe.

Also Read:While Jasmine Bhasin's career in acting began in 2011, there's still a long way to go for our cover star. Read along as the fun and fab Punjabi kudi opens up about her great discovery, the Adi Shakti theatre workshop she's trained in, her dream wedding and much more in a candid conversation with Aza.

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Alaviaa Jaaferi

The Life of a Star Kid

All About Aesthetics

The Cool Tribe

Let's Talk Skin-Deep Beauty

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