The enterprising mother and daughter, Tanisha and Aalia Mohan, are all set to put their best foot forward for the festive season — both as influencers in society and as hard-working businesswomen. HELLO! learns a few tips and tricks from the fashionable duo, as we pick their brains on all things style.
An enterprising mother-daughter duo, Tanisha and Aalia Mohan work together at their family-run enterprise. Young Aalia followed her mother’s lead — both in terms of style as well as spearheading the digital presence of their business.
‘Like mother, like daughter’ goes the age-old adage. But what exactly do the OG influencer Tanisha Mohan and her 22-year-old daughter Aalia have in common? A flair for fashion, oodles of confidence and an irrepressible style all their own. As HELLO! catches up with them in their South Delhi home, a plush bungalow decorated with ornate flourishes in every nook, their witty repartee reflects the ease of their relationship, both at home and in the office. They work together as part of the family-run enterprise, Gryphon Appliances Ltd, which brought renowned brands Remington and Russell & Hobbes to India.
“It’s so important to cut the umbilical cord and treat your children like adults, especially if they’re working with you. You need to let them make their own mistakes as that’s the best way for them to learn,” shares the proud mother. “It’s also important to appreciate and respect their point of view, which reflects those of their peers. There should be mutual understanding and respect.”
Having played various roles in life, Tanisha’s journey has been an interesting one. She graduated from Hindu College in Delhi University and was offered a position as a flight attendant with British Airways. Travelling the world helped widen her horizons and led her to develop an interest in the finer things of life. She then worked in Dubai, before moving to Delhi after she met her husband. Tanisha made a name for herself as one of Delhi’s most sought-after fashionistas, taking over the Page 3 circuit regularly, back when being featured in it was an organic concept that held prestige.
“I then took a backseat to concentrate on my children and watch them grow up. When I felt they didn’t need me as much anymore, I joined my husband Ravi’s business.”
“My love affair with fashion and styling continued though. It’s interesting, but I feel I always influenced people. They notice everything I wear, and even now, my DMs on Instagram are flooded with people asking me for advice on what outfit looks better on them. The only thing that’s changed over the years is that I used to do events for other luxury brands, like being the brand ambassador for Gucci. Now, I do it for myself, and I oversee my company.”
Being a director at Gryphon Appliances and running a big-ticket company, however, hasn’t stopped Tanisha from staying true to her stylish self. Describing her personal sense of style as glamorous and chic, she loves dressing up no matter the occasion.
“I’m neither a T-shirt and jeans kind of person, nor am I into baggy tracks and athleisure,” she shares. “I prefer more structured and elegant silhouettes, though my style has evolved over the years, of course. For red carpets, I love wearing gowns or two-piece suits with statement jewellery, like a glam neckpiece or big earrings. On a casual day, I might wear designer tracks and a vest, but I’ll dress even that up with a jacket!”
Following her mother’s lead, young Aalia also takes her style quite seriously. With a degree in social sciences and media from Kingston University, London, and the responsibility of managing Gryphon’s social media marketing and overall digital presence, Aalia dove headlong into the industry of looking good.
“I love what I do, and I hope to eventually run the business. I’ve always been inclined towards fashion, makeup and hair, which is why this job gives me so much joy. I really put my heart and soul into it,” she declares.
Though it may seem an unusual choice for a 20-something-year-old to embrace the family business so readily, for Aalia, it was the most logical decision. When Covid forced her to return home to Delhi and continue her education online, she found herself with a lot of free time on her hands. One of her assignments required her to study the progression of a social media page and how it changed over the years in terms of audience interactions. Aalia chose to study Remington’s Instagram handle but found the page lacklustre and devoid of any fresh content. She keenly volunteered to revamp it using the principles she had learnt.
“So I requested my father to let me come on board to manage their social media. Initially, it was hard to convince the team of the merits of my newer methods, but once I ran an Instagram ad and they made sales, everything changed,” Aalia explains. “They were shocked to see the results, which they simply had not expected!”
“I feel I bring something unique to the brand because I understand the younger generation and what women actually want in terms of their hair styling products in today’s context.”
Both brands — Remington and Russell & Hobbes — are in full festive promotion mode at the moment, keeping the entire family — especially the mother and daughter — on their toes. However, this family isn’t all work and no play!
“My favourite downtime activities are going out and spending time with my friends and family, especially during Diwali when the whole family is together — both immediate and extended,” Aalia shares. “I love it when we come together for the pujas and other small events during Diwali festivities.”
Describing her festive style as glamorous but comfortable, Aalia favours lehengas for Indian celebrations. She also doesn’t hesitate to raid her mother’s closet. After all, Tanisha’s fashion advice is sought by all and sundry! Ask the latter the most important sartorial advice she could give anyone, and she says: “It’s OK to follow trends, but people should know what suits them. Plus, confidence is one of the best attributes anyone can have. You can rock a Zara dress or completely bomb a Dolce & Gabbana number, depending on how you wear it.”
“Fashion can be bought, but style is inherent. A lot of people have asked me to become a stylist because I know a lot about fashion, and I’ve had an international outlook right from the beginning,” Tanisha further adds. “I just never had the time earlier, but now, I might look into it. Some of my friends do consult me and people approach me on Instagram, too.”
When it comes to the festive season, Tanisha enjoys wearing her sarees, long anarkalis and lehengas at weddings. The Indian festive trends she finds most interesting include the easy-to-wear silhouettes that have now become popular, such as zip-up sarees or kurtas with a twist.
“It’s nice to see people combining comfort with style,” she smiles.
As we wrap up our chat, it’s easy to see why Tanisha has steadfastly stayed in the limelight all these years — she was clearly made for it. And it’s evident that her daughter Aalia is ready to follow suit.
Photos: Abhishek Khandelwal; Creative direction & styling: Amber Tikari; Hair & Makeup: Neha Singh
This is an excerpt from an interview that was originally published in Hello! India’s November 2022 issue. To read the full interview, get your hands on the latest issue right here!
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