PS: What does Diwali mean to you?
Saad Amer: Diwali is a beautiful celebration of light overcoming darkness. At this time, when we see so much turmoil across the world, from war to violence to the climate crisis, we need moments of joy where we can come together and build community. Diwali does that in such a special, meaningful way.
PS: What is your favorite Diwali tradition?
SA: My favorite Diwali tradition is the food. I love getting together with my family and having some biryani, samosas, chai, and mithai; everything is just laid out absolutely decadent for a beautiful feast. One of my favorite things about South Asian food is that there are so many vegetarian options, so there's an element of sustainability inherent to the festival.
PS: Who are you wearing?
SA: I'm wearing Anita Dongre, and I love her work because she's a sustainable luxury fashion designer; there's so much thought and intention into all of the materials. I love being able to bring our culture over here to America and do it in a way that is also good for our planet and actively conscious for such a lovely festival.
PS: What is your favorite thing about South Asian fashion?
SA: I'm a climate activist. I do a lot of work in sustainability, and a big focus of a lot of my work is sustainable fashion. When you go to the store, you find tags from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and our community, every single piece of clothing that you own many times has been touched by the hands of a South Asian people without you even realizing it, and there is so much poverty and exploitation that goes into our global supply chains as well as carbon emissions that go out into the world as a result of fashion. It's really important that we are cognizant of the human rights and the environmental footprint of the clothes that we wear for celebrations like this. It's so important that we are able to reuse outfits, share pieces with each other, and build community in that way.
It's such a special way to highlight the incredible craftsmanship of our people. I don't know anybody else who's hand embroidering mirrors into fabric and making it shine and shimmer in such a beautiful way. I take so much joy in seeing how much talent there is in artistry within South Asia, and I'm glad to see our artistry being recognized more and more on a global stage.
