Fashionista of the Month | Sonia Azad

Many of you might not know how I met Sonia Azad. We both met almost a decade ago at the NASA Space Shuttle tragedy breaking news site competing to do our best. This ABC 13 Reporter/Anchor is not your typical fashionista, who is not crazy for expensive handbags and Louboutin shoes. To me this Persian beauty is a fashionista who does not fear to experiment and is out and about chasing breaking new, hopping around to assignments and spotted emceeing numerous charity events. I have always admired her energy, positive thinking and philanthropic gestures.

Her curiosity about journalism began when, as a child, she watched the Persian Gulf War unfold on television. “I remember watching the TV reporters and thinking, ‘I want to be one of those people!’ While my job is far from embedding as a war correspondent, I am grateful for the opportunities this profession offers me,” explains Sonia Azad.

It was my privilege and honor to sit down with this Emmy Award winning journalist to know more about her fashion and style and her favorite moments.

As a television personality how would you describe your style?

I try to keep my on-air look for TV simple and classic. I like to appear well put together and respectable without wearing anything too loud or distracting. I prefer that viewers keep their attention on what I’m saying rather than what I’m wearing. In addition, reporters have to be practical about attire in the field. I never know where I’ll end up on any given day — a horse farm, the side of a highway, along the Galveston seawall… For that reason, I always carry an extra bag of comfortable clothes and shoes as well as rain gear and a chemical hazmat type suit that we’re issued just in case!

You look stunning at this photo shoot with bold accessories and form fitted outfits by Mio Boutique. What’s your off-camera style?

In my off-camera life, I love BIG accessories. I don’t wear rings, watches or bracelets, so I love to play around with earrings and necklaces. I gravitate toward unique, engaging pieces that match my personality. I like what Mio Boutique and Zayver Jewels offer because I feel like I’m wearing stunning art work. I have a particular love for handmade jewelry because I think about where the elements came from and the people who made it.

You must have worn more saris than any Indian girl (ha ha)! You love Indian fashion and wear the Indian garment so well. What are your thoughts on that?

Well, while I’m Persian, I love South Asian culture and fashion! Some of my friends call me “basically Desi.” I always love events when I have the opportunity to wear a sari or a salwar kameez or accent western clothing with blinged out bangles and other glamorous touches.

Now that we know what inspired you to be a journalist please share with us few inspiring and interesting features from your career.

I have been given access to a really fantastic assortment of people and places; I have also seen a fair share of heartache and tragedy. What I enjoy most about my work is the ability to either help people or to educate them. One example of this is my Emmy-award winning half hour special report on my 6-week journey to India. My trip was part of a Rotary International fellowship. I was so moved by what I observed that I documented my travels and later created a 30-minute show which helped to bring awareness to some major challenges for rural villagers in south India, and how they are being met and overcome in some cases through Rotary’s work. I don’t recall a time when I’ve worked harder. It is perhaps my proudest career accomplishment to date.

When you are not traveling, where are you mostly hanging out?

My favorite Houston hot spots might not be what you think… At the moment, I’m wrapping up a yoga teaching certification program, studying under Larry Thraen and Kristina Keller. So, right now my regular hangouts include all the yoga studios where I spend my free time: Joy Yoga, Cherry Blossom Yoga, YogaOne, RepublicYoga & Kahanu Yoga & Meditation Spa. I’ve practiced various styles of yoga for the past 10 or 12 years off and on, but my renewed commitment came at just the right time. For me, yoga has provided time for spiritual awakening and balance to the daily intensity and rigorous demands of my job as a journalist. I look forward to sharing the practice (and the way of life, really) with my own students.

Photo credit: Ben Sassani
Wardrobe: Mio Boutique
Accessories: Zayver Jewels By Bela Thacker
Hair/Makeup: Posh Aveda Salon