For the past three years, senior Mohit Sahgal has been pursuing his dreams in the field of fashion design both at Marshall and at the Fairfax High School Academy. Although the dream of one day designing clothes has been the driving force behind Sahgal’s enrollment, being a boy in an exclusively female classroom has posed some challenges.
“It was [awkward] at first, but I knew what I was in there for and my passion for fashion was greater than my worry of what people would think,” Sahgal said.
Despite any awkwardness, Sahgal has continued to plan and execute many notable fashion-related events throughout his high school career.
“I’ve always been into fashion and this was the only class that Marshall offered that had to do with fashion,” Sahgal said. “For junior and senior year, I’m taking Fashion Design at Fairfax High School. Sophomore year [my teacher] was Ms. Rogers and I produced the Marshall fashion show.”
Outside of school, Sahgal has numerous projects that he is currently working on to advance his presence in the world of fashion design.
“I make original designs and am currently working on my own collection which will have its fashion show on May 18 at George Mason University.”
Sahgal also has a side business in which he resells clothing, and hopes to one day establish his own brand titled “Liberated, inspired by Kanye.”
“I think that your body is a palette and the clothes you wear, the color and the way you put it together, whether it’s loose or tight, oversized or tapered, it really tells a story [of] something you represent,” Sahgal said.
Among Sahgal’s style inspirations include Jerry Lorenzo, Virgil Abloh and Alexander McQueen, although when designing, Sahgal incorporates his own artistic vision as well.
“I want people to not be so brand-conscious,” Sahgal said. “I want to see outfits put together because of creativity rather than price tags and that’s something I try to implement in my designs and my outfits.”
Sahgal intends to continue this initiative through a fashion-related career in the future, and despite being the only boy in Fashion Design, Sahgal does not consider gender a barrier.
