Chasing dreams and letting art speak for itself: Akanksha Verma’s fashion blogging journey.

Little did people knew a few back years how lucrative could fashion blogging be as a career choice. But many like Akanksha Verma took the road less travelled, and that has made all the difference for her. A mind-blowing number of people follow fashion bloggers, and even Akanksha’s Instagram account counts a whopping 11.3 thousand followers. With thousands of users engaging with such content, this makes fashion blogging a powerful tool to reach consumers within the industry.

From her graduation days to collaborating with the leaders in the industry, Akanksha has a story worth getting invigorated with. 

What was one determiner that helped you choose FVI?
I chose UFV because it offers quality and futuristic education. The Faculty is extremely kind and supportive. Graduating from UFV remains one of the best decisions of my life.

How was student life like at the Chandigarh Campus?
Student life at UFV Chandigarh is very comfortable. The campus is very well built and offers everything to make its students feel at home.

Share with us the motivation for starting a blog/Instagram page that is engaging scores of people?
I was always inspired to have my own start-up, and because of my love for makeup, I could materialize my plan of having my own brand. Trusting my capabilities and moving forward with them is the mantra. StyleFixByAV is a dream come reality for me. 

What was the biggest obstacle you had to defeat? Was it setting up your venture, or was it making it better every day?
The biggest hurdle so far has been in dealing with the society’s outlook towards makeup and its artists. I believe “Art speaks for itself” and therefore I let my work speak for itself.
This worked out for me pretty well.
And definitely starting this venture was difficult as I did everything from scratch. Patience, hard work and consistency have been my keys to make my brand better each day.

How do you cope with the pressure? (Any hidden recipes for taking care of yourself?)
I believe in the fact that things will always not work as we want them to, but there’s always a way out; we have to look for it patiently. Also, I visit Gurudwara every day and surround myself with positivity in one way or the other. It really calms my mind. 

Suppose you win the Academy Award equivalent for your trade. On stage, who will you acknowledge and for what?
I will thank my parents and the Almighty. My parents have been a support and have provided me with the liberty for working at any time of the day. I stay away from my home for weeks, and they respect my work. Whatever I am today, I owe it all to my parents.

You collaborate with one of the finest in the industry, the likes of Sara Gurpal, tell us something about your experience.
Sara is a wonderful human being and a great friend. We did a stunning shoot a few days back, and we have so many upcoming projects together, which I can’t wait to share.

If given a chance to graduate all over again, what would you do differently?
I am satisfied with what UFV has given me, and I will always be grateful for it. 

Did you feel the college prepared you for the workforce and the real world?
UFV made sure we have an exposure to the real business working out there in the world. It built our confidence and taught us to deal practically, with many aspects attached to the business.

With the ever-evolving pandemic situation, uncertainties, and stress have gripped every student alike. What would be your advice to a student who finds these times challenging and never-ending, considering they stand at a pivotal juncture.
One thing the pandemic taught me was that Everything is temporary, and there is no need to develop unnecessary stress. Trusting ones own capabilities and not expecting any outside support helps as you do the best for yourself. Also sticking to one single plan is extremely important for it to yield. I never had any backup plan. This really helped me focus on my goals.