Known as a Grey-haired model, Mukta Singh is more than that, a wife, mother and a painter. Practicing buddhism while escaping into a soft peaceful creative space in her home, her thoughts keeping her as youthful as ever.
Believing in her own happiness and kickstarting a modelling career at a later age, she continually challenges herself and pushes boundaries to see what she can offer to the world.
THE Z STORIES // volume six
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We spent an afternoon, appreciating art and understanding the joys of life with Mukta Singh. Seen on Mukta Singh is our Veronica shirt dress, Junie dress and the Fern Dress in Ivory from our latest spring summer collection Co·Bloom.
The sisterhood that seems to be really emerging in society comes to mind because it is so symbiotic. The way women are reaching out to each other, supporting each other.Also recently in a shoot which was directed at older women, I met a lot of very attractive older women and we did the shoot together. We were complete strangers to each other and yet, we kind of bonded so beautifully.
Do you have a bond similar to sisterhood in your life?
I grew up in a boarding school. We were girls, so that sisterhood was ingrained in me and I have two other sister siblings.They're all girls, so sisterhood is something that means so much to me and growing up with them, growing up in boarding with all those boarders who have become sisters for life. Also, the lovely young women that I keep meeting on my Instagram.
Do you and your sister share clothes?
Yes, even today, if we need an outfit for an occasion, we quickly send it to each other by courier since we don't live in the same town. When we were younger, we used to fight over clothes, but now we share without any issues. Now I have the same relationship with my daughter – we love to borrow clothes from each other all the time.
What are your thoughts on the concept of sisterhood in today's society?
So, the concept of sisterhood is extremely important for us to really blossom as human beings. Because through our support for each other and validation of each other's beliefs and understanding of life, we are kind of improving these bonds
Do you find yourself in a relationship where you motivate each other by just being there?
I'm so fortunate to have these siblings, every morning, we kind of make a point to talk to each other and it's just about our day or how our hair is looking or how our skin is feeling.
How did your own mother inspire you to raise your kids?
My dad was very ambitious about us but my mother believed more in happiness.She wanted us to have very happy lives. She wanted us to accept us for who we were and that is what has taught me how to raise my kids.
So, I raised my kids to be happy in whatever career choices they've made in life, whatever choices otherwise they have made in their personal lives. I'm only there to support them.
" Initially having grey hair made me feel unique. But now I see a lot of women embracing grey hair. So, the sisterhood of the grey women is growing."
What personality shift did you experience when you decided to go gray and the misconceptions around it?
Who inspired you to go grey?
A lot of beautiful women, especially in the west, have inspired me Because when I was getting tired of doing the touch-ups of my hair, I did a lot of research and I came across this very gorgeous French model. She turned gray at the age of 17 or maybe in her late teens and she never coloured her hair. And I just loved her gray hair
Although I thought I would not be able to look pretty because, one doesn't imagine gray hair with Indian skin so much as, you know, ivory white skin. So, I did have my own doubts and my own misconceptions. So, I am here on social media basically to debunk those misconceptions.
How do you balance being a mother and pursuing your aspirations of working?
I don't really need to balance so much because my kids are grown up and they are independent. They have their own individual lives. In fact, this has come at the most opportune time in my life because now is the time I would have felt completely redundant and had a loss of things to do.So, my art and modelling keeps me busy and I am extremely grateful for it.
How has your fashion style changed after entering the industry?
I think I have become more aware because earlier, I was more limited. The credit goes to designers and stylists who have introduced me to varied styles which I never thought would sort of suit me.Do you think your grey hair now is contributing to the factor that makes you unique?
I think initially it did, It made me feel unique. But now I see a lot of women embracing grey hair.
So, the sisterhood of the grey women is growing.
What's the one tip you would give women to feel young and confident?
One tip that I would give women to feel young and confident is to stay very optimistic about life.
To keep looking forward to life Because that's what keeps us youthful. The moment we become bored or disinterested in life, youthfulness has got more to do with a verve for life, you know, a desire to live life than your years, actually.
"Art is my therapy, my meditation. In the room, it's just me, my paintbrushes, my canvas, and my thoughts."
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I didn't know I wanted to be an artist, it was because of my sister, she gave me a lot of canvases and brushes and she said just have a lot of fun with colors.
What inspired you to paint?
My first painting as a youngster was Mick Jagger long back when I used to be in school.
So keeping that same thought in mind I decided to paint Steve Tyler because for me he epitomized coolness at old age. So I started with that and I painted a lot of musicians and this particular painting (Women with a horse) out here is very close to my heart because this is the painting of a French model who went grey very early and she never coloured her hair. So she kind of inspired me to go grey and as a tribute to her I decided to paint her in monochrome with a white horse, horse head next to her.
What do you do when you have an artist block, like what inspires you then?
Artist's block is something I suffer from very often and sometimes I become even fearful about, being in the same room as a canvas and paints. But then I tell myself that it is just the initial inertia, that once I get into the groove it is, nothing gives me more joy than creating a piece of art. So I have to remind myself.
"I keep returning to the same books I read as a child because they remind me of my carefree childhood. That's why books hold so many memories for me—they connect me to my younger, carefree self."
What is your favourite corner in your home?
So actually, this (Library) is my favourite corner in my whole house, because it has a lot of emotional connection. During the lockdown, when we were renovating the house, my daughter and I planned this corner together. And she works in a publishing house, so there are a whole lot of books that she gets to review and stuff.
So it's full of her books as well as some of mine. And the drawers at the bottom have all our art stuff. My favourite authors happen to be here, Woodhouse and Agatha Christie. They are two reminders of my childhood. So I keep going back to these two authors again and again.
Is there a story behind any of the art you've collected here? Like that rocking chair?
My daughter just went to a place where she created these little ghosts. So we displayed them with a sense of pride. And there is a Buddha, because I'm practicing Buddhism, so some people love to give me Buddhas.
What is your comfort style?
My comfort style is at home, I love to be just in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in the summer. But I love flowing stuff like this as it makes me feel very feminine.
How did you gather the confidence to walk the runway? And what were your thoughts when you were first approached?
When I was first approached, I didn't even know it would be a kind of a walk because that happened to be for Amit Agarwal. But it was actually a shoot in which we were required to walk under flashlights.So I was a little intimidated, and I happened to be there just because of my grey hair.
My first actual runway, a serious runway walk, happened in LAKME Fashion Week. And by then, actually, I had become quite comfortable with the world of fashion. So I could manage it. Although I was a little awkward in the beginning, I was given a dress with pockets and I could have put my hands in my pockets and created a semblance of confidence.
Do you think one should have more timeless and classic pieces in their wardrobe?
It makes a lot of sense especially if you're spending more money, because then, you have them for life. Also you are not just cluttering your cupboard with fast fashion. It also goes against ideas of sustainability and being conscious of the environment. So I think having classic pieces makes a lot of sense. Plus, you have a lot of cupboard space if you have just a few classic pieces.