Creating Between Cultures Featuring Aana
Many people know you as a creator, but you’re also a trained fashion designer. How do those two worlds come together?
Fashion has always been the foundation of everything I do. I became known for my no-cut, no-sew draping videos, where I transform sarees and dupattas into modern outfits while encouraging people to rediscover the value of the traditional pieces they already own. Content creation simply became another medium for sharing my designs, techniques, and ideas with a wider audience. Instead of keeping fashion confined to sketches, websites or runways, I get to make it interactive, accessible, and inspiring for people around the world.
You recently participated in a hanbok design competition and won. Tell us about it!
Participating in the 2023 Show Off Your Hanbok Contest during Hanbok Culture Week was a defining moment for me. I wore a saree-hanbok that I designed myself, and it was the first time I had the chance to present my work face-to-face with renowned hanbok experts and a Korean audience. As a foreign designer blending Indian and Korean traditions, I was excited but also nervous about how my work would be received.
Winning the competition and hearing people say they stayed until the end just to see my design again, gave me the confidence that my work had found the right balance between cultural appreciation and meaningful innovation.
How do you bridge content creation with fashion design? How has social media helped?
Building a fashion brand usually requires funding, production, and years of visibility; things many young designers simply don’t have. Social media
allowed me to reverse that process by documenting my creative journey, sharing the craftsmanship behind my work, and building trust before the brand even exists commercially. Every piece of content helps shape the identity of my future brand and connect with people who genuinely believe in the vision. In today’s world, attention and community are some of the most valuable forms of capital, and social media gave me the opportunity to build both through creativity.
Did becoming a creator change the way you approach your work as a designer or vice versa?
Absolutely. Sharing my work online helped me see its potential in ways I never could while designing alone. In the studio, you’re relying on your own perspective only, but putting your creative process out into the world invites thousands of viewpoints, helping you understand people’s needs rather than just your own ideas.
At the same time, it taught me an important lesson about
protecting my work—knowing what to share openly and what should remain closely guarded. The internet is full of inspiration, but it’s also full of copy-cats, and learning that balance has made me a wiser designer and a creator.
Do you ever feel like social media only shows part of who you are creatively?
Definitely, and I think that’s healthy. Social media is a window into my work, not my entire identity. I’ve been intentional about separating my creative life from my personal life, even if that means growing more slowly. I’d rather be known for the value I create than for constant access to who I am. I think that boundary has allowed me to build a more genuine connection with the right audience.
What inspired you to move to Korea to study?
Note: Aana studied fashion design in India, and Korean culture in Korea.
I always love seeing people’s reactions when I tell them it was hanbok that brought me to Korea. Many Koreans would say things like, “Isn’t that outdated?” or “I only wore one when I was a child.” But when I created my first no-cut hanbok draped from sarees, the response from both Korean and international audiences showed me that traditional clothing could be reimagined in ways people had never considered.
I had already studied fashion design and was working as a designer in India, so I knew the next step wasn’t another design degree, it was understanding Korea as a whole—the history, culture, traditions, long lived folklores and the society. I believe great design isn’t just beautiful; its value grows when it’s rooted in authenticity, and authenticity can only come through learning and lived experience. “Beautiful designs capture attention. Authentic designs earn respect.”
Has learning about Korean traditional fashion changed the way you think about design as a whole?
Yes. The more I learn about Korean traditional fashion, the more I realize that designers have a responsibility to create with intention, not just aesthetics. There are crafts that are fading, techniques that deserve preservation, and stories that still need to be told. While many designers focus on creating the next trend, I believe design can also be a way of
documenting history and keeping traditions alive. That’s the kind of work I want my designs to contribute to.
Rather than choosing between identities, how do you let different cultures exist together in your work?
Growing up in India, I never saw traditional clothing as something reserved for festivals or weddings. We wear dupattas with jeans, sarees to the office, and jhumkas with mini dresses—it’s always been a natural part of our everyday style. So when I moved to Korea, I was surprised by how rarely I saw hanbok outside of special occasions, because I couldn’t help imagining how beautifully it could fit into modern life. That became a dream of mine: not to reinvent hanbok, but to help people see it through a fresh lens. There are so many Korean designers already working to revive hanbok, and if my perspective as a foreign designer can help more people
discover and appreciate their work, while also showcasing my work, then I feel like I’m doing something meaningful.
You've collaborated with the Korean Tourism Organization, three times in the past. What did that experience mean to you?
When KTO first reached out to me, the person in charge said something I’ll never forget: “You’re the only Indian creating and promoting Korean traditional fashion, and everyone here loves you and your work.” I don’t think she realized how much those words meant to me. Every creative goes through moments of wondering if they’re pouring their heart into something that only they believe in. Hearing that felt like everything finally clicked. It gave me the reassurance that I’d found the purpose my work was meant to serve. It fueled me with the passion that keeps me going, no matter what.
What advice would you give creators who have artistic passions beyond social media, but don’t know how to share them?
I think one of the biggest reasons people don’t share their artistic passions is the fear of not being good enough or being judged by likes and comments. My advice is to treat social media like a creative journal. Document what genuinely excites you instead of waiting for it to be perfect. Don’t compare yourself to others; your only competition should be who you were yesterday. Trends come and go, but your unique perspective will always be your greatest strength. Instead of chasing numbers, focus on building a small community that truly believes in your work and that you can fall back on. For an artist, that’s far more valuable in the long run.
Check out Aana’s Instagram here: @mysterypalette