Billie Bhatia, Fashion and Beauty Features Director at Stylist Magazine, is one of a kind. Funny, vivacious, sensitive and most importantly incredibly talented at her job, Billie is one of those girls everyone wants to be friends with.
She started her fashion writing career interning at high profile publishing companies, quickly working her way up to jobs at Vogue and GQ India, British Vogue, Elle UK., and most presently at Stylist. She is only 30.
Billie doesn’t fit the “norm” of fashion. She’s a plus size and she’s Indian. And she’s the first one to say that and make sure that SHE, and everyone like her and everyone different to her, can fit the “fashion box”. Billie is refreshing and headstrong, she is also incredibly courteous and charming and quite frankly “Bombing” her way through the fashion world.
YC: You wore only black for quite a few years. What made you break the black code into colour?
BB: There's a lot of answers to this question. Ranging from the practical (I am clumsy by nature, and spill a lot), to the more emotional. I used black as my way of blending in, it was an easy disguise when I so felt that I so obviously stood out. I don't think there was a particular moment where I broke away from black, because on the right occasion there is nothing I love more than an all-black outfit, but realising that black wasn't my only option to look and feel good was a process. One that I would say came from age and feeling more comfortable in my skin.
YC: What colour makes you feel your most confident?
BB: All shades of blue. Navy, sky, aqua - there is something inherent calming about blue that makes me feel confident.
YC: What’s your fave style edit on our website?
BB: That is really hard. It's like picking a colour at the nail salon, there are too many options. I know I just told you that yellow was my colour but so are soft shades of blue and green. So, I'm going with Electric Mint Green and also Egypt because those colour combinations are something else.
YC: What colour are your walls at home?
BB: I have a lot of colour in my flat by way of furniture (I have a bright yellow velvet sofa and a terracotta orange armchair) so the rest of the walls are that classic off-white shade, save for one. One wall in my bedroom is laurel green.
YC: What colour do you associate with being happy?
BB: Yellow. I know, the irony isn't lost on me. From the girl that would be default filter 'black' on Asos, now declares the brightest colour as the one that makes her feel HAPPY. I got an epic yellow dress from Merlette in 2018 and things haven't been the same since. That dress was my gateway to colour and I haven't looked back since.
It's like picking a colour at the nail salon, there are too many options...I'm going with Electric Mint Green and also Egypt because those colour combinations are something else.
YC: What would be your last ever outfit choice?
BB: Resort wear brand Kalita custom made me a dress for my friend's wedding. If I could be wrapped in swathes of eggshell blue and nothing else for the rest of time, I wouldn't complain.
YC: Where would you love to go in the world that you haven’t already been to?
BB: Kenya. My mum was born there and it's a country I'm desperate to explore. It's bright and vivacious and so far removed from my everyday life, I would love to see where she grew up.
Find out more and follow Billie on her Instagram.
And to explore YesColours world of style edits visit our Edits page.