An Interview with Arti Shah, Designer of A|SHAH
Can you tell us about your background and how you got to where you are today? First off, I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to interview me and highlighting A|SHAH as a brand on Private School. My journey in to the fashion industry was somewhat atypical. I worked in marketing and operations for a hospitality management firm for close to 10 years. I’ve always had an interest in fashion, art and design. My creative interest weren’t being fulfilled in my corporate role. So, at the age of 30, I decided to switch gears and applied to Parsons fashion design program. I told myself if I was accepted, then I’d quit my job and follow my dreams. Fortunately, the acceptance letter came in the mail one day and I didn’t look back. After graduating from Parsons, I worked for a startup women’s wear designer in NYC for a couple of years. After getting some great experience, I launched A|SHAH in April 2019.
How do you function now that everything has distance? I’ve realigned my priorities this year to focus more on my family and self care. I’ve learned to balance certain stresses through exercise and meditation. I’ve also been working on a new collection, which will launch next year. My team in India has become like family. To ensure their safety, I’ve prioritized this year to focus on creating new design concepts, not manufacturing.
What was your biggest accomplishment this year? Working on my mental health, learning more about myself and adapting to difficult situations.
Where do you feel the most at peace? By the water. It’s always been the case for me. A trip to the beach and a walk by the ocean has always grounded me in a way that nothing else does.
Do you have a favorite food? This is constantly changing. Currently, I’d have to say Mexican cuisine is my favorite. I could eat tacos everyday. For those local to Philadelphia, I highly recommend the mole enchiladas from El Rancho Viejo…they’re amazing! Aside from that – my downfall and pick me up is the triple chocolate chunk cookie from Insomnia.
What’s on your bucket list? To travel when it’s safe to do so again – top 3 places are Greece, Japan and Morocco.
