Indian-based designer and Instagram blogger Diya Joukani recently sat down for an interview with SSENSE, where the 25-year-old discussed her growing fashion business DIYADIYA.

Joukani has been making a name for herself online through creative, fast-paced videos that feature her performing runway-style walks in everyday Indian settings. From walking on top of trucks to hanging off moving cars and trains, she embodies what many are calling “that cool girl from India.”

While speaking to writer Shona Sanzgiri, Joukani shared her passion for fashion and the inspiration behind her modern streetwear brand, DIYADIYA, which she launched in July 2024.

“The reason I use traditional artisanal techniques is because there’s so much talent in my city and in my country. In terms of making and designing clothes, we’re actually so far ahead — and we always have been. I just want to shine a light on that in my own way,” she said.

Joukani also described her instinctive creative process: “I’ll literally wake up in the middle of the night and think, I want to make this jacket, and then I make it. I feel like so many designers have this long formal design process — I just don’t do that. It’s completely instinct-based.”

When speaking about her culture, Joukani emphasised Mumbai’s glamorous energy: “We are loud people. The culture is loud. The clothes are loud. Everything we do is shiny, everything is glamorous. I took the best parts of that. Mumbai is all about the energy — it’s the City of Dreams”.

Joukani has also promoted her brand in unconventional ways, such as walking on JCBs and bulldozers and involving locals in her shoots.

In one clip, she hangs a jacket on a wire while locals work together to retrieve it, with one person eventually wearing the piece and walking alongside her.

More recently, Joukani shared a reel featuring Rihanna during the star’s visit to Mumbai for a Fenty Beauty Haveli launch, where the two were seen drinking chai and sharing a hug.