My personal style is: Living in Kerala, my personal wardrobe is tropical modern. We hardly have a change in weather except for a slight dip in the levels of humidity-- so a modern tweak in a tropical wardrobe is what I go with all through the year.
My personal style icon: I've never really looked at someone as a style icon but I find inspiration in how people dress. Sometimes it's the effortlessness with which a street vendor wears his kurta or the ease with which people put together an ensemble. It's really more about ideas than the person.
An item in my wardrobe that means a lot to me: My blue Chendamangalam handloom shirt that I wore for my Lakme Fashion Week GenNext show. It's also special because I took inspiration from this shirt I made for myself when we started our work with Chendamangalam post the floods.
The blue Chendamangalam handloom shirt Sreejith Jeevan wore for Lakme Fashion Week GenNext show
My favourite souvenir from my travels is: The dhotis that I buy for myself when I travel around the country. I have a collection of quite a few from across various states in south India
Sreejith Jeevan's dhoti collection
The best gift I have received: The space and time to be myself. I owe it to my family.
The best gift I have given: Decorating my nephew’s baptism party.
The last thing I bought: A lost-wax-cast bronze lamp called a paathi vilakku. It was a gift to myself on my birthday.
The lost-wax-cast bronze lamp 'paathi vilakku'
The last book I read: The ‘Ashtavakra Gita’. It was life-changing.
The Ashtavakra Gita
The last film I loved: I haven't loved a film like I've loved the 2012 Malayalam film ‘Ustad Hotel’.
My Spotify list would include these songs: ‘Rangpura Vihara’ by Agam, ‘Padayatra’ by Job Kurian, ‘Moon Child’ by Bombay Jayashree, ‘Mohanam’ by Aruna Sairam, ‘Paayal’ by Maati Baani and so on.
My beauty/ wellness routine is: Simple and revolves around my daily sadhana and meditation. And strictly comprising only natural ingredients.
My favourite holiday destination: The temple towns of South India. The energies always match, there will be beautiful textiles to shop, great local food, music and arts and lots of craft to indulge in.
A temple in South India
I love to collect: Furniture.
My fridge always has: Eggs, yoghurt, fruits and chocolate cake. There will always be the basics but with space for some joy.
Minimalism or maximalism: I am a minimalist with a penchant for maximalist accents. Can't do either on its own. The former gets too boring and the latter increases my cortisol levels.
My home looks like: My home was built by my grandfather in the 1960s. But currently it is writing a chapter that belongs to our design sensibility. It is a mix of Kerala meets art deco meets the modern eclecticism that we have brought into it.
Sreejith Jeevan's house
My favourite mix of traditional and contemporary is: I have to say it's the sarees I make. But if I have to choose a second favourite, it has to be the spaces designed by Geoffery Bawa.
My best ideas come when: I am relaxed. And not forcing ideas to come.
The best way to spend Rs 20,000 is: A quick weekend holiday around Kochi. Worth every penny.
Sreejith Jeevan with his family
My idea of happiness is: That state of being that you step into to get things moving. Happiness is a prerequisite rather than a consequence.
