In My Shoes | Anjali Patel Mehta
Anjali Patel Mehta is a former investment banker and founder of clothes brand Verandah. A mother of two, she is an alumnae of Wellesley and the Indian School of Business, and founded Verandah with no formal training in fashion out of the need to find chic, fuss-free separates created using artisanal fabrics. Her first collection for retail debuted for Resort 2018 on Moda Operandi and Neiman Marcus, and the brand relaunched in 2021. Verandah can now be found at about 100 leading retailers across luxury hotels and speciality stores, from Eden Rock in St Baths, the Four Seasons in Bora Bora to St. Tropez and from this summer, Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc in Cap D’Antibes. Verandah has just launched in London at Joseph on the Fulham Road. Verandah also appeared in Season 3 of The White Lotus, following the brand’s discovery in January 2022 by the cult TV show’s costume director, Alex Boivard Sprouse. Verandah’s newest collection, Ceylon, is inspired by Anjali’s travels to Sri Lanka and is live on www.studioverandah.com. Follow @StudioVerandah and @anjalipatelmehta
Tell us a little about you.
I grew up in Bombay (now Mumbai) and my sister and I had a bit of bohemian upbringing with my South Indian mother (a trained artist and ex tennis player) and my father (a polymer scientist). I was always partial to design, but took the route of science, studying at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai where I was able to keep a toe in art and sport before moving onto college in the US. I was a swimmer, squash player and ran cross country until a snowboarding accident in my senior year of college in Vermont. I graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts with a major in Economics and minor in International Development and Political science, and enjoyed my liberal arts education taking classes across film, art history, math and history. I had a special love for law and economics and wrote my senior thesis on regional disparities between North and South Italy as they integrated into the EU. Fascinated by cultures across the Middle East to Asia I wanted to ultimately pursue a dual masters in policy and business.
Luck would have it another way - the glamorous world of investment banking and Wall Street in New York took me in and I spent about 10 years in global markets across various roles starting my career at Goldman Sachs before moving to Fortress Investment Group and Deutsche Bank. Business school in India happened in the middle of a transatlantic relationship and I got my masters at the Indian School of Business.
Moving across to design was completely accidental. I love the world of colour, design and interiors and always treated it as a hobby. I left banking fairly bedridden on a health break to repair from my spinal injury which had left me in and out of hospital for many years. Design was a place to hide and express the way I felt about life, motifs and colour through pattern. It was also a time I took to heal my back, inch back into walking, swimming and now playing sport and living my bucket list life. The first few years were evolution and I spent some time finding a voice before starting Verandah.
The name came from my parents’ veranda where I had my first trunk show and the feeling I wanted to emote through the clothes was transitional, elegant, relaxed, soft and chic worn AM to PM. The then editor of Vogue recommended me to Lakme Fashion week and my entry into the emerging designer program really left me to sink or swim if I wanted to continue. My first collection had one print and designed it with upcycled denim - in hindsight that was a very raw collection and I’m happy to say there’s been an evolution. I started telling stories that inspired me through print and pattern and working with the idea of fibre to floor with a planet friendly, zero-waste and biodegradable approach to design. My investment pieces are made to last in your wardrobe across the years, I don’t follow trends. I love colour and pattern and I think after wearing black, white and beige for a decade, I wanted to experiment on a palette. I always start with a story I want to tell, then choose a single motif designed as the central theme, often around travel, architecture, history, conservation, nature or art in a way that emotes nostalgia unapologetically through colour and comfortable chic separates.
Our collections are 100 percent made in house in our units in Bombay. I truly believe that luxury is in the cloth, the finishing and the cut, however simple it maybe. Those who know me, know my love for the kaftan. It is truly one of the most versatile cuts in my wardrobe. From beach to bar to more tailored versions for the city, sundowners, belted mini versions, they are soft and all I want to wear in warm weather.
Responsible fashion goes hand-in-hand and I am on a mission to have Verandah stand for conscious luxury. I wanted to marry the notion of a socially responsible business with a heart with all my passion for the not-for-profit sector, decided to marry the two by financially supporting tiger conservation and the education of girls. I sit on the board of TigerWatch, a leading anti-poaching NGO in Ranthambhore India. We also support a project across 12 villages of about 200 Moghiya tribal kids and also support skill development and sewing. We have a Verandah forest in the east of India to support an elephant corridor and the flooding of the Bhramhaputra river and we hope to grow that in time.
I live with my husband Chippy Mehta, who was an international Tennis player and is now the co-founder of The Bombay Shirt Company. We have two amazing kids, Alekha 12 and Sumer 14. Alekha follows her father’s footsteps into the world of tennis and thankfully for me loves sport and Sumer is an artist and aspiring filmmaker. He is probably the most well-read person in our family at his age and is a visual sponge with a deep love to create and read.
How do you start your day?
I am on the go for most of the year and travel every week but I try to start my day early. Up around 6am, kids off to school and I head into an hour and half of sport, mobility or a walk before work. Days are incredibly long and timings are all over the place given the global calendar but I try and work two days a week from home, a place where I can think and the studio has become a hub for colour, chaos, clients and joy.
What is your fashion philosophy?
My fashion philosophy is to be playful and high on comfort and originality, mixing vintage finds with brands I love and (of course) a good measure of Verandah. I love the saree and used to wear them a lot more before I had the kids. I love mixing and matching colour, pattern and style. You will more often than not find me in the day in comfortable cut clothes with a good measure of accessories and fun shoes. Kaftans in all shapes are my go-to, and I love print, from block prints to coloured knits. Jackets also change your look and it’s my best styling tip to switch up your look. I have a small closet of jackets from everywhere - vintage finds to chic silk ones and custom Verandah jackets across denim and patch work.
I love accessories and all my runway shows and shoots have been accessorised with my personal collection. I love vintage jewellery, art deco, things from off the beaten track which make a statement. In the evenings, I like sparkle and a bit of bling and during the day I love layering, even over a simple white t shirt and jeans. When not in regular clothes most find me in athletic clothes at some point in the day - I’ve even rolled up to work in a kaftan over swim and golf clothes.
Can you share your top tip?
My life is highly on the go. A styling trick I always use is keeping a few key statement jewellery pieces in my handbag in a little travel case so I can switch up my look from day into night. A good belt, a classic number 47 Chanel red lipstick, berry creme blush and a pair of shoes or mules that pack flat and fit into my handbag. Layering is always a great option so a light jacket, a beautiful cashmere shawl or a silk shirt knotted up can always elevate a look and I put my hair into a quick updo.
A tip for life is always take some time out for nature and travel. It is a massive reset and nature can really energise and inspire you. Your skin is better and your soul for sure. Travel is my biggest educator and I would encourage anyone that has the opportunity to travel to do so. Try different cuisines, mix with the locals and absorb and appreciate different cultures. It has certainly shaped my perspective in life and as a family we try and travel as much as we can, however local it may be sometimes.
What inspires you?
My design philosophy is slow and driven by nostalgia. I love taking photographs and travel was always a privilege that our family exposed us to. As kids we spent long languid summers in the South of India, often driving across the country with our dogs. My parents used to love camping and we grew up very closely with my maternal grandmother, Susheela Iyengar. My grandfather spent his career in the British Civil Service and studied at Oxford and spent the second half of his life in service to Independent India, working closely with Pt. Nehru as the first home secretary and then assumed his role as the Governor of the Reserve Bank. He was a highly respected man and my grandmother would often speak of the “good old days”, teaching us everything about farming, gardening, traveling the country in simple trains, early rising, South Indian culture and music, to roasting our own coffee. Her love of fashion had a huge influence on me. From the fabulous coats she wore over her sarees from Bergdorf Goodman in the 40’s and 50’s to custom making her shoes and handbags with artisans from Agra, Lucknow and Chinese shoemakers, she was the ultimate aesthete. Also, she didn’t like to copy or dress like anyone else - there’s a premium on being original. My mum is beautiful, more bohemian, understated but always encouraged us to buy less and buy well. To cherish heritage pieces, antiquities, books and value history. Shoes and grooming, they said, spoke volumes about a person even if they wear the simplest clothes.
How do you unwind?
I take time to play my sport, I’m an active golfer and am the lady captain for the 6th year for the Willingdon sports club in Bombay. I have a store in Goa which is a great tropical hideaway and I am partial to the ocean and try and get a swim in when I can. I’ve prioritised taking my health seriously and building a work life balance in my windows. I enjoy travel, music, swimming, tennis, art and have recently taken up Padel. As a founder it’s not easy for me to put the brakes on, I absolutely LOVE what I do, my team is small and incredible.
I am loyal to my protein intake and the morning is absolutely the best and most creative part of my day so I tend to make the most of it. I also absolutely LOVE cooking – it’s a big de-stresser. I like country cooking and Provencal style, which I learnt from my mum who always encouraged me to experiment in the kitchen. I enjoy the fragrance and wellness space and any sensorial experiences around it.
A little-known fact about me is that 15 years ago I stopped watching all forms of television except for tennis finals and golf and tend to read physical books so it saves a lot of my day! It’s a tough one but it’s freed up plenty of time and I don’t miss it when I’m out in nature. A trip to the forest, hills or the sea alone or with a few close friends even for 72 hours always resets me and cuts out the white noise. The ocean is one place in which I feel completely free. We’re always surrounded by high energy in the dynamic world of fashion - it’s great to cut off every once in a while, and go off the grid. I’ve recently started an annual wellness holiday which is something I highly recommend to everyone - especially multitasking women.
If you could visit anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be?
I would say home because my list is long. I love being home and near family and nothing makes me tick more than at home in Bombay and exploring India in all its diversity. If not home, I would say maybe Tahiti. I used to love Gauguin and all his works and have a romantic notion of the place… the sea looks just perfect and it’s safe to say I’d be off the grid. Also, Mount Everest and Macchu Picchu have been on my bucket list but only if my back holds up for the journey up.
Can you tell us something you discovered recently?
I’ve discovered recently that I am enjoying being back at school in some way. I am currently enrolled in a master’s program with the Stanford Graduate School of Business called the Stanford Seed, for founders to scale their businesses with impact which is exciting. What is challenging at the moment is managing class work with running a full-time business in parallel. I’ve met some incredible founders across industries from the region and it’s been an incredibly valuable learning ground to put structure into the business working with our small team for sustainable future growth and the professors at the SGB are great. Neuroscience based marketing is my prime area of interest!
What is the best part of your job?
Freedom of expression, travel and meeting people from around the world and working with my team that has quickly become family without a doubt. I get to wake up and create something which I basically dream up in colour drawn from the best moments in my life and nostalgia and to tell a story of something that matters. It is deeply personal and brings so much joy. I hope we can keep going and create wearable beauty through our eyes at Verandah. My sister Gayatri and brother-in-law Nicky along with the rest of the team are an incredible support to me after my husband and parents who have let me fly.
Which shoes do you love this season?
I was always fascinated by shoes and over the years it is probably my absolute biggest weakness. From wearing stilettos in my earlier investment banking years to not being allowed to wear heels after my accident which damaged my spine, I always yearned to wear a good shoe, a good heel and a comfortable one at that. I discovered Rupert Sanderson on my fashion journey and am mildly obsessed with the shoes! My favourite this season (which I’ve paired with a hand draped kaftan dress in vegan silk from our SS25 collection) is the Cicely in coffee calf - a beautiful open toed mule. I also like the mesh Suez mule in black, a classic to wear anywhere. Can’t wait to wear them all season long!
