In a buzzling bylane of Bandra, Joshi House welcomes us on a warm—rather, sweltering—Saturday morning and what we discover is quite unexpected. In place of the usual frenzy, a sense of tranquillity lingers in the air. Inside, we find Aanchal Wadhwa Jaising and Aishwarya Wadhwani Avlani chatting about the looks they’re about to wear, how they spent their Friday nights and of course, the latest on Roman and Valentine—their adorable fur babies.
Aanchal waves ‘hello’ as we watch her expertly choosing accessories to match her bedazzled outfit. After all, the young fashionista now works with her mum-in-law—the leading Indian designer, Monisha Jaising—and genuinely embodies the effortless style we see in their designs.
As we walk up to Aishwarya, she’s sitting down for a test shot and to the photographer’s delight, the expert influencer seems to know all her angles. Her social media impact is undeniable, and as one of creative agency Plane Crazy’s three founders, she juggles it all with apparent ease.
HELLO! sits down with this stylish duo delving into the stories from their 2022 weddings, life post marriage, unwavering passion for fashion, jet-setting escapades and so much more!
HELLO!: Where did you both first meet? How did you become friends?
AJ: We’ve been bumping into each other at parties, that’s how we became friends.
AA: And I’ve known Aanchal socially since a while but we got closer when she married one of my school friends—her husband [Yudhishthir Jaising, founder of boutique fitness studio Antigravity Club] and I were in the same class in Bombay Scottish school!
H!: Tell us a little bit about you two — where did you both grow up and what led you to the path you’re pursuing currently?
AJ: I’ve always been a ‘Bombay’ girl. I went to Hillspring International School and got my degree at Istituto Marangoni. Now I’m working with my mum-in-law, [fashion designer] Monisha Jaising. Yes, I’ve joined the family business! I’m involved in the creative and design aspects, and I played a huge role in our recent showcase at Lakme Fashion Week. Witnessing your imagination come to life is truly magical!
AA: I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I pursued economics and international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science—and I was all poised to work in the communications division of the Ministry of External Affairs in India. So I started working in Delhi with the Government of India, managing their PR and communications for about six months. I soon realised that it wasn’t for me and that’s when I started Plane Crazy Studios with two others. We believe that all businesses need a strategy behind their storytelling.
H!: Aishwarya, how do you balance your huge social media presence with your agency?
AV: I work with brands as an influencer and represent them through my agency. So while I can deliver better for the ones I work for because I understand them, I can also guide the brands I represent with respect to the kind of strategies that would work for them. It’s hard but I try my best to strike that balance—that’s why this shoot is on a Saturday! (Laughs) But social media has unlimited power to influence fashion choices, all the ‘it’ girls are now born on the internet! Since it’s not my full-time job though, I only pick the collaborations I’m truly passionate about.
H!: Aanchal, what’s it really like to work with family? Could you describe what a typical workday looks like for you?
AJ: Honestly, my mom-in-law is the coolest person ever! She’s very chill, more like a friend and mentor. There’s no one better to learn from in the business and I’m truly blessed. She teaches me everything from start to finish. We always start the day with our team meetings, going over the review, the process for clients’ orders, sourcing, details for any upcoming show or shoot. We break for lunch, after which we go around the workshop; our evenings are for social media meetings.
H!: What’s your most treasured piece of jewellery? Tell us the story behind it.
AJ: The promise ring my husband [Yudhishthir] gave me before we got married. It was just the promise of being together forever (smiles). It has three bands, in gold, silver and rose-gold which you can wear together or separately. I love it, it’s eternal.
AA: My engagement ring, engraved with mine and my husband [entrepreneur and investor Aalesh Avlani]’s initials. I also wear a diamond bracelet gifted by my in-laws on the day we made it official between our families, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet from my maasi who lives in Singapore and a Cartier bracelet from my father-in-law, who’s also my best friend. I have a ring too, which reminds me of my dog [Valentine]— it’s literally a little golden retriever.
H!: Speaking of beauty and fashion, we absolutely loved both of your wedding looks last year! Can you walk us through the process of deciding your respective bridal styles?
AJ: I totally trusted my mother-in-law, who made it. She knows my style, my taste and she knows me. I just knew I wanted to wear baby pink. We got married at our bungalow in Pali Hill and it was a very intimate affair. She showed me sketches and samples, but I left it up to her. My mehendi outfit was also designed by her, which was very colourful, flowy and fun with a mini blouse and tassel tie-ups. I’m happy it was so comfortable because I was honestly raging up until the end!
AA: We had two ceremonies and so for the vows on the beach I channelled my inner mermaid in a fitted white gown with a flair at the bottom. The theme for my pool party was tribal chic so I went for a gold, beaded Misho bustier with a custom Anamika Khanna skirt. For my sangeet, I wore a beige, heavily-embroidered pre-stitched saree and danced the night away! And lastly for my wedding day, the traditional Hindu pheras, I wore a baby pink Sabyasachi outfit with Swarovski crystals, pastel-green jewellery and a sheesh pati.
H!: You’ve both been married a year, how much has life changed since then?
AJ: I’m sleeping a bit later! (Laughs)
AV: My husband jumps out of bed pretty early and he’s got me into the habit of doing the same!
H!: Aanchal, given that Yudi founded a fitness club, do you share his passion for fitness?
AJ: I do, actually. We met at the Bandra branch of Antigravity! I’m not as committed as he is, but I go there three-four times a week and train for about an hour — strength, conditioning, upper body. It’s honestly a vibe.
H!: Aishwarya, you and Aalesh love to go on treks. What’s the best trail you’ve ever been on?
AA: He’s my favourite exercise and travel partner. We like to motivate each other to stay fit and eat healthy. One of the coolest treks we’ve done is in Patagonia, where we went on the Base Torres trek.
H!: You’re both quite the globetrotters! Can you share a few of your favourite destinations and why they hold a special place in your heart?
AJ: Venice. It’s so different from the other European cities, with water canals everywhere, and hardly any cars. It was truly one-of-a-kind. I loved Harry’s Bar. I celebrated my birthday there recently!
AA: I love travel that includes adventure and my husband is the same. Our honeymoon was definitely a highlight. We went to the salt flats in Bolivia, which were stunning. I also really enjoyed Patagonia, it’s a different world.
Photos: Ryan Martis; Creative Direction & Styling: Anushree Sardesai; Location courtesy: Joshi House
This story has been adapted for the website from a story that was originally published in Hello! India’s December 2023 issue. Get your hands on the latest issue right here!
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