// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Diya Joukani a bright person? Diya lights the way.
Diya Joukani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000 or 2001 (age 25–26) |
| Education | University of Auckland |
| Occupations |
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Diya Joukani (Hi: दिया जोकानी) is an Indian fashion designer and social media influencer. She is known for her brand, DiyaDiya. She is also known for her social media content, which led her to be described as "India's 'It' Girl" by The New York Times.
Biography
[edit]Joukani was born and raised in Bandra, Mumbai. She is Sindhi.[1] Her aunt was a fashion designer, and Joukani started altering her clothes at the age of 5, using rhinestones and swapping out uniform pieces. She faced discipline from her school for this.[2]
She subsequently attended the University of Auckland in New Zealand for her college degree, where she played squash and wanted to work at the United Nations. She worked at vintage stores, then moved to the UK, where she worked as a stylist and at stores including Kenzo. She described the experience as "eating her soul".[2]
In July 2024, after teaching herself to tailor through YouTube tutorials,[3] she designed her first piece of clothing, a jacket, and after positive reception decided to move back to Mumbai that December and launch her first line. In July 2025, she began creating social media posts wearing clothing pieces she had designed, which went viral later that year[2] and sparked a trend of similar videos[4] by people from across the world.[5]
On January 11, 2026,[6] she launched her website, Diya's Duniya,[7] meaning home, for her brand DiyaDiya,[8] and immediately received 3,000 orders.[2] The website features very casual discussions of her outfits meant to appear as just her talking to her audience.[9] She subsequently built a team of tailors from Bandra to help her in making her designs.[2] She also attended the Met Gala watch party in New York that year.[1]
Her style emphasizes heavy use of traditional Indian embroidery[10] and Sindhi beading[11] and a streetwear aesthetic.[4][12] She has described it as heavily inspired by the traditionally bedazzled Sindhi style.[1] She has also described her designing as instinctive, sometimes coming from dreams.[13]
Her social media usually features videos of herself as the model of her clothing[9] walking around Mumbai,[14] set to Nights by Frank Ocean,[5] and has included a collaboration with Rihanna.[10][15] Many of her reels include spontaneous appearances from locals.[16] She is also known for her "cool girl walk" videos.[17] Her reels are mostly filmed by her father.[18] She has described her goal as "taking something from Mumbai all over the world".[9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Dazed (2026-05-07). "How Indian designer Diya Joukani became the coolest girl on the internet". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Hasan, Sadiba (2026-08-13). "This 'It' Girl Really Is That Cool". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Rosario, Moira Del (2026-03-27). "Diya Joukani: India's Cool Girl and Gen Z Designer". MEGA Asia. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- 1 2 Brown, Lucia (2026-03-17). "How Does One Aura Farm Their Way To Internet Fame? Ask Diya Joukani". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- 1 2 "The World According to Diya Joukani". Nylon. 2026-03-13. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ "#CosmoQuiz: Diya Joukani is the internet's new cool girl and she's doing it on her own terms". Cosmopolitan India. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ "Who is Diya Joukani and what is she doing that's making her the internet's 'cool girl from India'?". The Economic Times. 2026-02-25. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ "Who Is Diya Joukani aka 'Cool Girl From India,' 25-Year-Old Designer Rihanna Met?". Brut. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- 1 2 3 Hardy, Alyssa (2026-01-27). "Viral Gen Z Designer Diya Joukani Takes Us Inside Her First Studio". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- 1 2 "Meet Diya Joukani, the social media star seen with Rihanna at a Fenty event". South China Morning Post. 2026-05-03. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Mukhi, Aahana (2026-05-28). "Decoding Diya Joukani's 'cool-girl' aesthetic". ThePrint. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Pompei, Clarissa (2026-04-02). "Diya Joukani: the Indian designer who turned Mumbai into her catwalk". Whoopsee Italy. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Life And Style Desk (2026-04-30). "'Cool girl from India' Diya Joukani talks her brand DIYADIYA | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 2026-05-02. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ "The girl who made Bombay go viral". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Ocho, Alex (2026-04-28). "Rihanna Links up With the Viral 'Cool Girl From India' at Fenty Beauty Event in Mumbai". Complex. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ Hasan, Sadiba (August 21, 2026). "India's 'it' girl Diya Joukani really is that cool". The Straits Times. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
- ↑ Corry, Samantha (2026-04-29). "Get to know TikTok famous fashion designer, Diya Joukani". RUSSH. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
- ↑ "Why Diya Joukani Is More Than Just "That Cool Girl From India"". Hypebae. 2026-05-12. Retrieved 2026-08-22.