This festive week of Christmas, Usaamah of the Dapper Label fame talks to us about his passion and what tipped into becoming a social media star. This star has been an extremely stylish presence on Instagram and is one of the country’s leading fashion and travel influencer.
Hi Usaamah, tell us about how you started The Dapper Label started. What pushed you to get into this space?
Right after I completed my Graduation in Business Management, I started working with a celebrity stylist and designer for a couple of years. During my course of work, we would regularly reference looks to create mood boards. This period was when I realized there were very few Indian men speaking about men’s fashion and style in the country. Cut to starting ‘The Dapper Label’…..
How long before you considered this a career?
Seven years back, right after graduation when I started this. I knew even then that this was going to be my career.
Was there something else you planned to do with your career as a child or before this started? If yes, what?
I’ve always wanted to do something in the men’s fashion space and was passionate about it even as a child. I’d always thought of myself working with some huge brands like GQ, Zegna or Tom Ford. Menswear attracted me right from the beginning.
What do you look for in the brands you endorse?
I only endorse brands or products that I personally like. Only if it is something that I’ll genuinely use/wear, it makes sense to talk about to the audience.
How do you handle trolls or haters?
I understand that everyone has a point of view and it always doesn’t have to match yours. That is what makes everyone unique. But sometimes, it is best to ignore the hate and keep going. As I like to think – You do You.
What inspires you to keep your content fresh and unique?
At the risk of sounding cliché, my passion for fashion keeps me going. Nothing like that passion in me to keep thinking of unique content every day.
What are your plans for the future in this industry? Some aspirations insight from you
I’ve launched my m2m menswear label, which is on an appointment basis at our studio. So I have been giving that all my time and every kind of effort that I can put into. I will also be working on building a team for my brand as well as for styling.
Let us know about Usaamah outside your work. What do you love doing otherwise?
I LOVE traveling! I get to create fresh content whenever I am traveling and it also works as a good plugin of work while being on a vacation. Apart from the travel, I workout thrice or four times a week and sometimes take a swim.
Thank you, Usaamah! That was fun and hope to see you back on Greenroom soon.
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