Why Anjali Phougat Walked Away From Some New York Fashion Week Shows After Losing Her Father

"Coming back to India for his last rites was one of the most emotional journeys of my life. I was surrounded by everything that felt familiar, but emotionally I was going through something completely different," she says.

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The loss also sharpened her sense of where she comes from. "No matter where life takes you or how far you travel, your family and your roots remain a part of who you are," she adds.

Her father, who worked as a bank manager, shaped the way she approaches her work. "He taught me resilience, dignity and the importance of doing your work sincerely. He always made me understand that you don't have to constantly prove yourself to everyone," Anjali says.

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Grief, shared honestly

Anjali also posted a video about her father, and she is clear that it was not a statement from someone who had found closure.

"Grief can be very lonely, and I have always believed that we should be honest about life and not only show the successful or beautiful moments," she explains. "I wasn't sharing that video because I had figured everything out."

Fewer shows, clearer reasons

She is returning to work gradually and on her own terms. "I am slowly returning to work, but I don't want to rush back simply because I feel I am supposed to," she says.

That thinking led her to cancel some of her planned New York Fashion Week shows in September. "Success doesn't feel like it is only about how many shows I do or how busy my calendar is anymore," she says.

The work she has kept reflects the shift. At the Blume Foundation Annual Gala, she presented a fashion show focused on cancer awareness and prevention. She is also continuing her human trafficking awareness work with The Ohio State University, a cause she has been associated with for several years.

"I want to continue creating fashion, but I want to create it with purpose," she says.

In fashion and entertainment, a packed schedule often doubles as proof of relevance, so choosing fewer shows is an unusual public decision. Anjali's account also speaks to something many Indians living abroad know well: mourning a parent across two countries, and the long flight home that comes with it.

What sets her words apart is that they make no claim to resolution. She describes grief while still inside it, and lets it reorder her priorities rather than rushing past it.

"Losing my father has made me realise that achievements are not what we ultimately leave behind. It is how we made people feel, what we gave back and what difference we made while we were here," Anjali concludes.