#KetchupTalks: Harpreet Suri aka MomWearsPrada talks about motherhood and fashion blogging

We had a chat with fashion blogger, Harpreet Suri aka Momwearsprada and she talked about her life, fashion, career and more.

Indian media is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers and influencers who are rewriting the norms of fashion and beauty. Harpreet Suri aka MomWearsPrada is one such Blogger, fashionista, communicator, and mother who has mastered the art of creating a perfect concoction of all her talents by steering her own iconic blog. She founded the blog Mom Wears Prada where she would talk about her life as a mom and helped many young mothers.

She decided to give up her career of 16 years in Public Relations and focus on full-time blogging. With the motive of sharing everything that she loves and have learned during her journey of motherhood with the world, she has been able to connect with incredible people all over the world with her blogging.

A lover of design, fashion, good food and a great life, Harpreet was always surrounded by brands, “Brands always felt like an extension of me. I naturally identify with luxury and fashion and have tons of favourite brands. Out of these, I chose Prada because it felt most apt to be a brand full of gravitas yet surprisingly spontaneous. And that’s how #momwearsprada came into being.” We had the opportunity to have a chat with the Momwearsprada and she talked about her life, fashion, career and more.

Check out what Momwearsprada had to share:

How did your blogging journey begin? What encouraged you to be a blogger?

"My blogging journey had a very vanilla start and I never knew it would come to be what it has become today. I worked as public relations person for leading hospitality brands in Delhi for over 16 years, and I have always been on top of things – be it fashion, lifestyle, home, decor, culture, you name it. After all, that was the part of the job. Even in my personal space, I have always been that one friend to whom everyone would come to, asking for help on things, fashion advice, boyfriend issues, all of that. I’ve always had all the qualities of being a blogger and influencer, for my choices always had an influence on people around me. They loved what I wore or the pictures of places I’d go to. But it never occurred to me then that I should explore that.

Even before being a social media personality, I’d share my moments from my life and connect with people. The journey to being a blogger, however, was phased out and gradual. While I was still doing my 9 to 5 corporate job, I wanted to spend time with my kids and I was failing miserably to do that because of my job commitments, so I decided to take a sabbatical to spend time with my kids and family. It was then it came down crashing to me on what I was missing out on in life. I was living my best life career-wise, but as a parent, I wasn’t. So I decided to quit and that is when Momwearsprada’s journey actually commenced."

What is that one quality of being a mom that has helped you in your content creation career?

"Being a mother gives you so many superpowers, you won’t even believe it! From an intuitive, deep emotional sense to the ability to multitask, motherhood makes you a better version of yourself. Motherhood changes you and not everybody wants to be up for it, but for me, it’s the most gratifying feeling in the world."

Has lockdown impacted your content creation process? And how?

"I am a glass-half-full person. Yes, the excruciating months of lockdown have been a challenging phase in all of our lives; and God forbid that we ever go back to it. But, those months also gave us a chance to take a deeper look at ourselves as persons, society. I’ve been active throughout the lockdown process and it gave me chance to connect with my followers during live sessions and online interactions. It was not something new, but it reached a peak of necessity during the pandemic.

During these months, virtual was the only connection we could have with the world. So I did a lot of lives and panel discussions, spoke about mental health issues and other raging topics like actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s sad demise, and things that people related to whilst also sharing glimpses of my day-to-day life to motivate them, to tell them that we are alone in this. I just want and have always wanted to spread positivity in the world – both online and real."

What is your family’s role in your journey as a mom blogger?

"My family is the axis my world revolves on. I am doing what I do for them, with them, and beside them. I create content with my children and that makes my job not seem like a job. We are always together. As a mother, it fills me with gratitude that I get to not only work with my children but I can have them around me. Which mother wouldn’t want that!

My husband and our families have always been my support system. When I decided to quit my high-profile corporate job at the peak of my career, no one questioned my radical decision. It was always, ‘do what would make you happy. My husband and I both are busy in our respective careers but at the end of the day when we share a laugh or two, enjoy a good meal, or read to our children, it all fills me with purpose."

How do you decide what to promote on your page?

"If there’s something I don’t to see for myself, I won’t share it with my followers. For example, if you don’t like karela like my baccha, what do you do? You don’t shove it down your throat, right? It’s simple as that, I don’t promote anything that I don’t agree with. That’s how I am in the real and virtual world; I am a straight-shooter. For me, the faith people have shown in my work and life means a lot and I stand up for things I endorse, that’s why people come to me for suggestions and queries because they know I won’t give them advice for the heck of it."

What is it like being a mom in this digital era?

"My words may seem preachy and old-school, but from where I come from, being a mom is not a job or responsibility, it is who I am. And it’s a beautiful life choice that I cherish every living moment of the day. I always say that to people and I’ll reiterate that - first of all, I am a mother, everything else in this era or other comes after my children. I am a digital-friendly person and I am quick to adapt. I am always versed with what’s happening in the world and being in the digital era helps with that to a great extent. We need to get on catching up with times and beat it.

Coming to the practical aspect of it, being in a tech-pro world comes with its own challenges too. While when we were young our academics were limited to pen, paper and books, our children, on the other hands, have the world at their fingertips. It opens them to a lot of things at an early age and I believe it’s a good thing. They need to be ready for the world ahead, and our traditionalism or inability to move with time should hinder their growth. As parents, however, all we must try is to make them understand how to use technology to make best of it."

What is the most common misconception that people have about mom bloggers?

"Many people and most brands undermine the impact and reach of mom bloggers. I believe the audience for mom bloggers is the one that has the real money, say and power in investing in things. Mums do run the house, remember?"

Do you remember any memorable DM from your followers that stayed with you?

"I wish I could pick one. Like I have said before, people, my followers have been so kind to me. I get several messages from people, new moms, young moms, even young girls, who want to share their stories, experiences with me and it’s all beautiful. Isn’t it? When people connect with you with their true self, value your opinions and shower compliments, it’s all very rewarding."

What are the basic rules that you follow to create content that stands out?

"Three things, mostly. Keep it clean, keep it neat and keep it real."

How do you make moolahs?

"By simple, old-school way of working hard."

Any message/tips for upcoming bloggers and influencers?

"Whatever your dreams are, however, silly or grand, just follow them. I wish I had realised it sooner in life that this was my calling, but when I did, there was no looking back. With my heart on my sleeve, some fun ideas in mind, and my beautiful babies in tow, I decided to have them at it. Another thing is to never lose yourself in the hour of the spotlight. Stay real and stay true to yourself - that, for me, is the key to loyal followers. And always remember that the best is yet to come."

Here's how Harpreet reacted to Quick questions:

Creator/Creators you want to collaborate with

My favourite ones I will tell you. Komal Pandey, House of Misu, and Natasha Luthra.

Favourite reel trend or challenge

Q&A with your partner.

Go-to outfit

A statement Knee length in cotton is my thing.

Skincare routine you can’t live without

Just the basis CTM, and sunscreen, it’s a must.

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