Page 14 - MASALA LITE ISSUE 83 | AUGUST 2017

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14 COVERED

Girl

THE

WITH THE

RED SOLES

Young and determined shoe fanatic

Ratika Thakur lands her dream job

at Christian Louboutin. She tells

us how she successfully keeps up

with the challenging and fast-paced

world of luxury fashion.

BY KRISHNA MAWANI

A girl can dare to dream, and dare she did...
Ratika Thakur was an ordinary girl, following the humdrum
routine that every individual is known to follow. Completing her high
school education at Ekamai International School, she continued to
pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication arts with a major in
advertising from Assumption University, and later got her MBA in
luxury brand management from IFA Paris. She was content with the
path her life was leading, until one day, destiny came knocking and
changed its course completely.
Sitting at Thee Bangkok Hotel, she tells me that a few years ago a
friend told her about an opening in Christian Louboutin for their new
Bangkok offi ce. Just like that, her initial plan of taking a short hiatus to
travel the world was scrapped, and this exciting job opportunity was
waiting for her.
Having worked as an advertorial stylist for three years at
established magazines including Elle, Marie Claire and Cleo, it was no
surprise that this determined trendsetter bagged the role. It has been
two and half years since, and her passion for the fi eld is still as clear
as her fi rst day at work. It’s really true when they say, ‘if you are facing
in the right direction, all you need to do is keep walking’, and it’s even
better doing it in the iconic red soles.

So who is Ratika?
I’m born in a multi-cultural family. My dad is Sindhi and my mum is
Thai-Chinese, which makes me a halfi e. Ever since I was in school, my
mum has been strict with me. She enrolled me in a variety of extra-
curricular classes that ranged from math to Thai classical music and
even badminton. I would also participate in many afterschool activities,
where I was mainly a photographer and stylist for the school magazine.
Every moment for me was a learning experience. I would often travel,
and learn about that country’s history, traditions and culture. All of
these aspects are linked to fashion, and were ultimately, my fi rst steps
into appreciating the art of style.

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