Xenia Byramji (bottom in black) and her womenswear collection The Being. Exploring the connection of the earth and spiritual world, the journey of finding the higher self within.
Xenia Byramji is a driven Fashion Designer, Visual Artist, and Stylist who is committed to incorporating natural and sustainable elements in her work. From a young age, she has demonstrated a keen interest in Fashion by experimenting with her mother's clothing, trying on different combinations of outfits, borrowing her mother's heels, purses, and testing makeup looks. Since childhood, Xenia was always the "Girly Girl", in contrast to her sister, Zoish, who was a “Tomboy”, and would style pieces for her sister despite her sister’s wishes, which encouraged Xenia to create innovative and unique designs.
Xenia's first inspiration for Visual Art came from her grandfather, Kersi Banaji, who used graphite and charcoal to create beautiful portraits of his wife, Shenaz Banaji. Years of watching this artistic process helped reinforce Xenia's passion for the Arts.
Xenia's Fashion Career began during her younger years when she became interested in designing fashion illustrations on her croquis. In 2017, she sought to gain professional experience in Fashion Design by building her portfolio at the Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design.
Going against her parents' vision to pursue a career in Business, Xenia continued to fight for Fashion Design and applied to her first choice, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) School of Fashion (formerly Ryerson University) which is the oldest fashion program in Canada. According to Forbes, an American business magazine, “It is one of the few art institutions with decolonization as a primary guiding principle along with inclusion and sustainability.” Through her perseverance, she got accepted in the Fashion Design program at TMU in 2018, which has a low acceptance rate of sixteen percent.
However, during her path to success, she had to conquer many barriers. During her first two years of university, Xenia faced design restrictions and non-fashion-related courses that made her studies challenging. To overcome these challenges, she had to learn new skills such as Graphic Design, with the help of her friend, Cameron Pinto.
Xenia came out of her comfort zone after her second year and began working on her Menswear Collection titled, Khaos, which allowed her to explore her own design aesthetic and found her voice. As she progressed to her fourth year, she gained a better understanding of her creative direction. While her current collection titled, The Being, is womenswear, she plans to continue working on womenswear, unisex and menswear garments for her future collections.
Xenia is an adventurous women who enjoys taking walks in nature as well as practicing yoga and meditation on a daily basis to strengthen her spiritual awareness. Her daily routine gives her the space to experience new aspects of nature on a spiritual level which reflects on her work.
Designer Xenia Byramji wanted something that would both intimidate and aid her journey of personal growth. Through her hard work and strong self-belief, Ahura Mazda answered Xenia’s prayers. The iconic Mass Exodus Runway Show was held on April 15, 2023. Xenia created and curated her third collection “The Being”, featuring 5 womenswear dresses inspired by the religion of Zoroastrianism, the monotheistic religion of ancient Persia emphasizing humankind’s relationship with nature. This capstone collection explores the connection of the earth and spiritual world, the journey of finding the higher self within. From look to look, the story unfolds by using the opacity of fabric to translate the idea and concept from spirit to human.
White is the main color choice in this collection and is associated with light and goodness. In Zoroastrianism, the color white holds significant symbolic meaning as it is associated with purity and righteousness. Fabrics used in the collection are cotton voile, 100% cotton, and 100% silk to incorporate eco-friendly practices.
Seeing her dreams turn into reality, Xenia's heart filled with gratitude. She expresses her deepest appreciation to Professor Danielle Martin for all her help and support during this entire process. Xenia wants to further express her heartfelt gratitude to her parents, sister and best friend Ammar, for their unwavering support in her fashion pursuits. Her family and friends are the core of Xenia’s heart and support system.
For aspiring Zoroastrian creatives, Xenia strongly recommends they follow their passion and do everything in life with love.
Interviewed and Written by Ardeshir Jamtorki
Editor in Chiefs Zarah Irani and Zubin Irani
Assisted by Shenaz Banaji and Huferesh Vania
Reviewed by Xenia Byramji
