Standing beneath a shimmering billboard in SoHo, surrounded by racks overflowing with the season’s latest trends, I hear the shop’s conversations taking shape. What’s in? What’s out?I come to a pause, slow down, and listen to the sound of my breath. Later, as I scroll through a flood of images from a posh designer’s latest campaign, a question lingers in my mind: What truly drives the fashion, beauty, and wellness industries? Is it desire, fantasy, or the art of storytelling? Are we simply purchasing a garment, or are we buying into an identity—an image of ourselves carefully constructed?

“If you are focused on status, you lose authenticity, and if you lose authenticity, how do you show your self- expression? How do you stand out as an individual?” Rahi Chadda muses.The British-Indian model, entrepreneur, and digital tastemaker speaks to me from London, our conversation stretching across time zones, his voice a song of experience and transformation.

“I was once a victim of materialism, but now I have shifted my mindset towards promoting sustainability in my own way,” Chadda shares. “Everything I’m doing is with a lot more intention.” Chadda is a creative force of nature, his story one of intuition, mindfulness, and devotion. In an industry built upon reinvention, Chadda’s evolution is a testament to the power of conscious creation, proving that style is not about excess, but about meaning.

Chadda earned degrees in law and international employee relations before making the leap into the world of fashion and beauty, a space he felt magnetically drawn to. “Studying law shaped me in terms of developing the analytical side to my brain. It makes you reason with everything that you’re doing.Those were the moments I started expanding upon my spirituality,” he reflects. Chadda yearned to break free from expectation and corporate structure, and started to thrive in the high fashion space, which seemed to be waiting for him.

“We’re talking about 2011, and at that time, there was no influencer culture. It’s amazing how this generation can take inspiration from so much that is available. But we didn’t really have that. It was more traditional forms of media that were our inspiration,” Chadda explains. “At the same time, for me, it was understanding that there was no one who was really like me that I could look to as a role model.That ignited something where I was like, I really want to create something for myself where I hope to leave something behind.” 

Chadda’s career in fashion began unexpectedly during his master’s studies when a modeling opportunity introduced him to the fashion scene. Said breakthrough came when he walked for River Island at Lakmé Fashion Week, leading to a contract with London’s StormVision agency. He quickly ascended, working with luxury houses such as Dior, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. By 2018, he was representing Chopard Fragrances at Cannes. By 2021, he was seated front row at Milan Men’s Fashion Week as a recognized industry figure. His historic appointment as one of the first brown male UK ambassadors for Dior Beauty in 2022 cemented his role in redefining representation in fashion. Later that year, he was named to Forbes 30 Under 30, solidifying his influence beyond the runway.

Chadda is certainly a dreamer, yet he is grounded with an undeniable sense of strategy and discipline. He has sharp features and kind eyes, like a warm sculpture in the sun, radiating zen.“Spirituality lends you this very special skill where zen becomes your superpower,” Chadda tells me. “You can have so much chaos around you, but you still feel a sense of calm and clarity of mind.When you have clarity of mind, you’re able to make the best decisions and better manage crisis control... The fashion industry has put me in circumstances where I’ve been so outside of my comfort zone, but leaning onto spirituality helped me understand who I am as a person.”

Chadda says that he “thrives under pressure,” however; the fast pace, the temptation, and the inevitability of rejection or self-doubt in the industry intensifies the need for a solid sense of self. “Say you get rejected by a brand that you really want to work with—and there might not be just one rejection, but a row of rejections— how can you make yourself understand that it is not a personal decision, but a professional decision?” Chadda reflects. 

“My spirituality has helped me  develop sub-personalities and coping  mechanisms and understand life in a  much wider perspective. It helps me to broaden my thinking, like,‘Okay, if this isn’t working out, what can I change? What can I do next to adopt a different avenue to still achieve what it is that I want to achieve, but keeping an open mind to different avenues?’ Meditation helped me with that.”

Chadda describes himself as naturally sensitive, an awareness that shaped his emotional depth and ability to connect.Through therapy, he unraveled childhood experiences that reinforced this sensitivity, learning how to navigate an industry that often requires detachment. “You have to form a shield around you to really get the job done,” he admits. Armor aside, his emotional awareness and sensibility have remained intact and even propelled him farther in this industry. “It’s made me not be a shallow person. I have been very lucky to be in rooms with some very cool people, and having deeper conversations with them shows that I have more layers to my personality than just being someone who likes to dress well and look glamorous. It’s not just surface-level talk,” he says. “I think it’s cooler now to have a spiritual side to you.”

The shifting tides of fashion align with Chadda’s values, particularly in sustainability and ethical consumerism. He notes a growing consciousness within the industry, where conversations about transparency, upcycling, and mindful consumption are reshaping norms.“There’s always been talk about how fast-paced luxury fashion is as well, when that completely goes against the ideology of luxury,” he observes. “When there is always a fashion week, always a new collection being launched, are we really taking a step back and appreciating the collections we already have?”

Chadda is in a stage of life where he is “prioritizing creativity over consumption” and curating an “evergreen wardrobe.” Purchasing items with longevity, artistry, and quality creates a closet of investments as opposed to a closet of forgotten clutter. Conversations regarding sustainability can make us feel powerless, as if it is a system of living out of our hands. But really, sustainability is about choice, and like Chadda said earlier, choice is about mental clarity. 

We speak about confidence, not as the elusive word that is so often tossed around, but as a muscle that is strengthened through consistency. Skincare and self-esteem are so deeply connected, seeing that “our skin is the most visible aspect of our being.” Beyond fashion, Chadda ventured into entrepreneurship in 2015 with the launch of the Panache & Marina Skin Aesthetic Clinic in London. Driven by his personal struggles with acne, he sought to create a space dedicated to personalized skincare solutions. The clinic emphasizes holistic skincare, incorporating hydration, SPF, and proper sleep, alongside products from brands like Estée Lauder and Dr. Barbara Sturm. It is impossible not to notice Rahi Chadda’s skin – shining and smooth. 

“I am still on a skincare journey,” says Chadda, because what the world sees is the outcome of trial, error, and an intimate understanding of his body’s needs. “I’ve been on Accutane for the last five years and I’ve had to repeat several cycles of Accutane because of my journey with acne whilst having such a strenuous skin routine. It can be exhausting... but the most surprising things that I’ve learned about skincare: Firstly, less is more. Secondly, it’s really about patience. It’s not about achieving instant results.There's no magic product that’s going to fix your skin overnight. It’s really about understanding what’s unique for your skin needs and adjusting your routine.”

Mindfulness threads through every aspect of Chadda’s life, shaping his approach to beauty, creativity, and self-reinvention. As he enters his thirties, he embraces uncertainty with confidence.When I ask him what’s next, Chadda smiles. “Do you know why I’m smiling?” He asks. “Because I would love to know where my career is going to evolve, too. As a creative, I embrace change. I know entrepreneurship will always be in my DNA, but right now, I’m in a phase where I’m letting things unfold.”

Yet, even in this space of unpredictability, he finds clarity. “Social media is a business, just in a different form,” he explains. “It allows me to create, to connect, to curate my own narrative. But I do see myself returning to entrepreneurship at some point. Let’s see what the future holds.”

One thing remains certain: Rahi Chadda is more than just a face. He is a visionary of self-reinvention, a student of confidence, and a man who understands that true beauty is not found in perfection, but in mindfulness and evolution. 

Photographed by David Reiss

Styled by Ignacio de Tiedra

Written by Audrey Weisburd

Grooming: Charley McEwen

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