“You know, a few years ago I used to pick up bazaar at Starbucks and I’d answer the Truth or Dare questions with my friends for fun. It’s almost as though I manifested this [interview] to happen!” Aneshka D’costa laughed with me during our interview. Although we were on Zoom, she still looked stunning with a light touch of effortless makeup that made her skin look dewy and fresh. I wondered if its application was courtesy of her makeup artist sister Nidhi D’costa who also appears as a model in a lot of Aneskha’s work. “I love working with my sister and always recommend her as a model and a makeup artist for projects I’m on whenever I can.”

It’s no surprise that the D’costa sisters work so well together, seeing that they come from an empowered family of strong and creative women. With sister Nidhi in the creative fashion industry and Aneshka’s mother behind the dessert delivery concept Crumble, the stage has always been set for the former computer science engineer to take a more artistic turn in her career path.

“I studied computer engineering for four years in university, then I worked in the field for one year before discovering that art direction is my passion. I completely deviated from what I thought I was going to do!” To exercise this passion and learn more about it, Aneshka built experience as a model and found herself in different creative shoots for several brands and campaigns in Kuwait. She then enrolled in University of the Arts in London where she took a course in fashion photography and art direction in order to master the industry.

“It truly is a world where you have to know how to think on your feet and solve problems.” she laughed as she told me a story of a particular moment of a shoot where one of the dancers spilled coffee on his white pants and she ran out to find detergent though it was the middle of the night. “I had to communicate with this security guard who was sitting at the gate at 1am and ask if we could borrow detergent from his living quarters. He must have thought I was crazy!” But she saved the day with her quick-thinking and problem solving skills that were surely acquired from her days as an engineer. “You have to be able to work with people and in teams, too.”

Aneshka strives to keep the industry growing when it comes to inclusivity. “I want to push for more recognition and inclusivity towards people of colour and body types that don’t fit the mould when it comes to “traditional” models.”

This is why in her styling and art direction, we see her working with models who fall into such categories: people of colour, different body types, and androgyny are common themes with Aneshka’s work. “I have noticed though, that Kuwait is catching up and they’re doing a good job with making the fashion industry more inclusive. Kuwaiti concepts make space for different types of women in fashion.” That’s a good sign, even though there’s still a way to go. Perhaps in her ambition to become an independent art director with an arsenal of creatives, models, photographers, makeup artists et al, she will keep contributing to making the industry a more inclusive place.

Her other dreams? “Creating a boutique of random upcycled items turned into wearable accessories and other cool things, and styling Peggy Gou!” These are just some of the ideas that keep this creative up at night, and not in a bad way. “I hate sleep. I like to stay up and think of different ideas and come up with different plans for shoots and how to style them and style the models.” We would say the switch in her career was well worth it, then.

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE
How would your mother describe you in one word?
Sincere.
How would you describe your mother in one word?
Intuitive.
What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked?
“Do you want to do an interview for bazaar?” (Because the answer was obviously yes!)
What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
I got a tattoo after a night out with friends.
What is your theme song?
I Got Ants in My Pants (And I Want to Dance) – James Brown
Where would you like to live?
New York
What is your dream retirement location?
Spain
What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind?
“In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell” — Luvvie Ajayi.
Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life?
A female emperor penguin. They’re cute but super resilient and badass.
Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it?
Definitely spending time with both my siblings. We would zone out and build our own imaginary world.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I really like my name, it confuses people and I love that. But if I had to pick another, it would probably be Skai.
How would you describe your handshake, in one word?
Genuine
What is the toughest part of your character?
I believe that I’m a very resilient person, it’s something I’m proud of building on through the years.
Who is your favourite historical figure?
Probably every woman who has dedicated their life to fighting for us, even in the smallest way possible.
What in the world do you least desire?
Not being around my amazing family.
What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place?
Empathy. 100% more empathy.
Why do you think most people who do, like you?
I hope it’s the fact that I love to support my friends’ dreams and goals. Having those conversations and helping them actively progress in what they want to be doing in life.
Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…”
Taking a bite of my Mom’s freshly baked brownies! damn they’re fire!!

Follow Aneshka’s art direction adventures on Instagram @aneshkadcosta, and her journey as a model on @no____saint. For her sister Nidhi’s makeup artistry, check out @peepthatglow and discover their family bakery Crumble @crumble.kw.