Spending time with Hiral reminded us of something we often forget. That belonging doesn’t always look like finding a place and settling in. Sometimes, it looks like letting yourself take up more than one. Like holding space for every part of you—the dancer, the dreamer, the doer.
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Q: Who is Hiral?
A: When I think about this question, I think about my grandmother. She is a force of nature. From the tattoos on her skin to the way she folded a sari, everything was done with meaning. She taught me how to be soft, yet powerful. She didn’t chase titles, but she lives with discipline and dignity. That became my first lesson in what strength really looks like. Today, I carry that legacy in my tattoos, in my work, and in the heart of ‘This is Hiral’.
Q: What's one thing you value the most as a creative?
A: Freedom is a privilege and it is everything. The freedom to choose what you want to do, who you want to be. What you surround yourself with. The freedom to walk away from what no longer serves you. To rewrite your story if something doesn’t feel right. To evolve, to start over. It is only because I feel free that I am able to do a lot of what I do. It would be hard to truly live if I didn’t feel free.
Q: What is the source of your creativity?
A: Styling hair to me feels like flow, so does pole. So does climbing trees. It’s all movement, balance and instinct. And I like a good balance in life, a rhythm between stability and spontaneity. It allows you to be instinctive. Unpredictable. But also flexible and deeply accepting. Going with the flow, but knowing when to stand still. It is being intentional, not rigid. Letting life surprise me, while staying true to myself.
Q: How do you make space for growth?
A: We should do things in life, not become them. The world is your oyster, why cage yourself in fixed identities? Change the whole story of your life at any moment. Have a little fun with it. Try new things. Explore different sides of yourself. Let your experiences shape you, but never let them limit you.
Q: What is one piece of advice you have for creative people?
A: As creative people we need to take good breaks. To step away from what we’re doing. To try something new. To let ourselves get inspired by something outside the usual. Without that space, we lose perspective. We stop creating and start churning.
Q: What does belonging mean to you?
A: For me, belonging with myself and with others isn’t about choosing one version of me. It’s about letting every version belong.
