IN CONVERSATION WITH.MEGHA KAPOOR
Throughout her career, Megha Kapoor has helped shape the way fashion is seen. From her time as Editor of Vogue India to her independent platform, INPRINT, she has consistently championed thoughtful cultural storytelling over fleeting trends, expanding the conversation around fashion, identity and creativity.
Now back in Sydney and expecting her first child, Megha finds herself at another point of transition. We spoke with her about personal style, publishing in an ever-changing media landscape, the stories that continue to matter, and why great editorial has never been about chasing attention.
Your personal style has always felt instinctive rather than trend-driven. Has your relationship with getting dressed changed over the years?
It has moved from being very experimental and expressive when I was younger to really coming to rely on a uniform of sorts. I love fashion and clothing, but I find the older I get, the less time I want to spend thinking about what to wear. Trends are transient - but style is something that is timeless and innate, not a replication of a trend. Living out of a suitcase will also really help to refine and define something essential in the way you dress and piece things together.
You're expecting your first child. Do you think becoming a parent might change the way you look at stories - or the stories you feel are worth telling?
I don’t know. I think I’ve always been quite scrupulous in the types of stories I want to tell and the way I approach storytelling. I’m certain the changes that motherhood brings will be seismic, but I can’t speak to how that will manifest in my work. What I can say is being pregnant and this journey is humbling, and I have a newfound awe and respect for women - I imagine motherhood will only just intensify that feeling!
During your time at Vogue India, which story, cover or editorial decision do you think best captured the kind of publication you wanted Vogue India to be - and why?
We did a beautiful photo essay series with photographer Ilyes Griyeb of a Giddha folk troupe in rural Punjab. Cultural storytelling as a way to explore the idea of fashion and beauty - India is a never ending source of such inspiration if you choose to look and spotlight it. That story broke the internet - for all the right reasons for me as an Editor, and it had nothing to do with celebrity or clickbait.
After years of living abroad, what has surprised you most about returning home to Sydney?
How much I missed and love the ocean. She's a very pretty city.
INPRINT began as a print magazine, but today it exists in a very different media landscape. How has your thinking about publishing evolved, and what has remained constant?
What's remained constant is an insistence on editorial storytelling. What has changed is the medium. Right now, I'm deliberately in a period of experimentation. Rather than feeling tied to a single format, I'm interested in exploring different ways of publishing, whether that's Substack, social media, film, live conversations or, eventually, print again. The platform is evolving, but the editorial philosophy isn't. I also think we're living through a moment where the very idea of editorial has become blurred. So much of today's media ecosystem is underpinned by sponsored content, commercial imperatives and a relentless pursuit of virality. I'm much more interested in reclaiming the older idea of editorial: work with a clear point of view, rigorous reporting, strong curation and stories that are worth spending time with.
How do you see Indian culture and textiles influencing Australian fashion today?
Not enough! I think there is some education and exposure that is needed to introduce textiles into the fashion lexicon more locally. It's one of the things that drew me to Jac+Jack as a brand - the emphasis on incredible textiles, you feel comforted. The act of dressing yourself in a piece from J+J is truly an enjoyable experience, and isn't that what clothes should do? A trendy silhouette in a terrible fabrication is a terrible piece of clothing, and I hope Australia lifts its game in terms of valuing and investing in beautiful natural textiles and the craftsmanship of good fabrics. There's nothing chicer!
If you could edit one narrative about the future of fashion, or journalism, what would you rewrite?
Probably the hyperventilation around AI. I think what we are seeing is that a trained editorial eye, taste and discernment can’t be replicated by these tools, and I would be reluctant to adopt them in a way that replaces the human hand in the written word or image - even if just for the reason that they can’t! I’m all for technology and the industry moving forward, but the cornerstone of what makes fashion and certainly journalism good and worthwhile is innately human.