Playing games and making faces may seem juvenile, but Leila’s channeled them into five womenswear looks that are anything but. Over the last five years, while the beauty industry booms, the British South Asian designer has developed a printing method that employs expired and discarded makeup. Reusing and recycling not only cosmetics but childhood memories allows Leila to revisit the past while carving out the future.

Why is it important for you to take a sustainable approach?
Sustainability holds high regard in all of my work, but for this collection, in particular, I wanted to ensure that I was buying as little as possible to keep the themes of my childhood authentic. When I was younger, I didn’t go to an art shop to buy a bunch of supplies to play and create with; instead, I made do with what I had in my bedroom or my dad's office, etc. So for this collection, I wanted to use what already existed in my environment.

How did the pandemic help shape your collection?
The pandemic taught me what type of worker I am. I realized that I love to work alone in my own set space with one song on repeat for as long as I can stand it. Knowing this presented some challenges because I felt uncomfortable in any other environment and guilty for not putting in 110% effort. However, I was able to speak to my tutors and come to a compromise, so it all worked out in the end.

As a Punjabi-Indian designer, how does culture play a role in your work? Have you experienced racism along the way?
Culture plays a huge part in my work because I feel it’s a world I’m just getting to explore. I’ve always lived in London, UK, and my family is quite westernized, so there was a lot of 'me' that I didn’t know about until early lockdown when I began researching myself and getting in touch with as many people as possible.

Unfortunately, there’s been many instances of racism that have followed me throughout my career and education. I think it's critical to highlight that it's still a huge issue that clouds every opportunity I get, every person I speak to, every event I get invited to, every collaboration I undertake, and every educational setting I encounter, as is the same for every other POC in any career.

Where or who else do you draw your inspiration from?
I get a lot of inspiration from stories told to me by my loved ones. I also like to work at a very surface and impulsive level; for example, one of the dresses I made was an observational drape of a partner's face while they were sleeping.

Fast fashion brands are known for ripping off student designers’ work, including your own. How does this make you feel?
Shein and Ali Express continue to rip off every design I post on Instagram. In turn, I’ve noticed myself becoming more and more restrictive with what I post because the image belongs to Instagram. I was shocked and upset when it started to happen, which is unfortunate because there’s not a lot I can do. I am grateful for the response from my followers and that people want the real thing over the cheap copy because they know that everything I produce is high-quality one-of-one designs.

Do you feel comfortable talking about living with vitiligo? How did you learn to embrace it?
My vitiligo was much more salient when I was younger, especially on my face. I remember being extremely insecure about it because kids are mean, and my mum would help me cover it with makeup. It caused a lot of identity issues for me as a young adult, but I learned to love everything about myself, including the parts that were different. Today, my vitiligo is only really noticeable when I get a tan, but I still embrace it as part of me, just as other people have freckles, moles, or birthmarks. It doesn’t make me self-conscious anymore.

What does the word ‘oddity’ mean to you?
‘Oddity’ means different, and I think that word fits comfortably within my life and career. Nothing has ever been 'traditional,’ whether that’s my personal life, health, educational path, degree experience, etc., especially compared to my family, friends, and classmates.

What can we expect to see from you next?
I hope now that university is over, I can continue working on my brand with the freedom to put in all my time, which I’m extremely excited about. I also hope to work alongside like-minded individuals who share similar values in sustainable design and see what we can create.