LIVA Miss Diva 2024 winner, Ayushree Malik will be representing India for upcoming Miss Supranational 2025 competition which is set to take place in Poland on Friday June 27 2025. We can call Ayushree a perfect blend of beauty with brain as she is not only a fashion icon, but also inspiration for many. A phycological student from Delhi university has started a 'Brave hearts' movement to over come a grief. Her initiative says it is okay to be not okay, a safe center for a person to talk.
Ayushree recently opened up with LokmatTimes.com about the preparations, challenges that she and her team faced during the transformation journey and the motivation that kept her driven towards her goal.
From topping academics at Delhi University to excelling in sports and debates — how did these early achievements shape your confidence and discipline as you entered the world of fashion and pageantry?
I feel that every field has given me lessons for life and I give the credit to my mother because she has always pushed me to perform better, whether it be sports or pageantry, I think it's a constant support that allows me to step out of my comfort zone. And sports has actually taught me the values of discipline and sportsmanship. And with the same discipline and sportsmanship, I think I have progressed in my career. I've learned that if I stay focused and disciplined to my dreams, I can definitely achieve them. And working with people, I think it has taught me to have a spirit of team work which comes from sports. So all of this, I think, is just helping me to be a better person every day.
You've worked with some of the top designers in the industry. Can you share how those collaborations influenced your journey into pageantry and helped you find your unique voice in fashion?
For me, fashion is all about expressing yourself in your own creativity. And I think all the incredible designers that I got the chance to work with, I've learned that it's their unique vision that makes them so special. So working with them has actually given me a sense of authenticity. I feel that if I am true to myself, because everybody's unique, everybody has their own stories and backgrounds. So if you stay true to your story and if you lead a life which is authentic, I think you can always stand out. And all the designers that I've worked with, they have just inspired me to express myself in my own creative style of fashion. For example, I really like the fashion when it's combined with Indian tradition, for example, wearing a Kurti with a jean is my go-to outfit.
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After your father's tragic loss, you launched the ‘Brave Hearts’ initiative. What inspired you to turn personal grief into a movement, and how has the project impacted communities so far?
I was seven when that incident happened and I lost my father. But I never knew as a seven-year-old how to process that grief because there was no one to help me out to emotionally heal out of it. So while growing up, I think I just somewhere buried that grief in my heart. I let all that pain sink into my heart and I never opened about it because I always put up this face that I'm happy, I'm positive. But through Brave hearts, I actually want to create a movement where people are okay to be not okay, where people are talking about that, yes, we don't have to be positive all the time. We have to accept that sometimes breakdowns happen. Sometimes life is unfair. You feel broken, and all you need is help and people to listen to. So through this project, through this movement, I want to take an initiative where all the adolescents who are losing hope in their life, maybe for whatever reasons that they feel lost or they feel depressed, because I'm also a psychology student, so mental health is really a priority for me.
So through Brave Hearts, I'm just trying to create that safe space where people share each other's stories. Because I know that if I share my story, I can help others give that hope that they can overcome their loss, they can find their strength. So Bravehearts is really life-changing for me. And I've been associated with an NGO called Asra, where I'm teaching people about first aid. Because helping people who have met in an accident could actually save someone's life. So through that way, I think creating a safe space, talking about all your beliefs, holding counseling sessions, and teaching people about first aid, I have tried to reach out as many people as possible.
As a psychology student and mental health advocate, how do you apply your academic knowledge to help others heal from emotional trauma through Brave Hearts?
I think psychology has taught me about emotional intelligence, which comes from the fact that you need to be aware about your emotions. So somebody talking about their emotions is really personal. So what comes with psychology is that respecting people's boundary. Because sometimes you don't really want to hurt anyone emotionally and attack what they feel insecure about. So accepting people the way they are is something which is very basic that everybody can do, whether coming from psychology or not. And I try to help others because listening is another thing, because all we want is to be heard, to be seen. All we want is somebody to listen to our pain, to the problems that we are facing. So I really try to help people to understand what they're going through and maybe talk about it because we don't need any changes as such. All we need is people who understand us, a little bit of empathy.
Preparing for Miss Supranational 2025 must be both mentally and physically demanding. What has your training and grooming process been like, and how do you maintain balance and emotional strength through it all?
While the journey has been really intense and the transformation has been 360 degrees, and I don't think so I maintain a balance. I do get breakdowns. I do feel days where it's really challenging to continue this journey because in those moments, you have to push yourself. And this transformation is actually a journey of self-discovery. I think I was a girl with a dream, and now I'm a woman with purpose. This transformation has also come because of teamwork. I have a huge team which is working and believing in me. My mentors, including my hair expert, ramp walk trainer, and nutritionist, support me in all aspects of my life. Everyone who comes in this journey is actually playing their part so well that I feel I have to do this not just for myself, but for my country. There's so much of support and love that I cannot express enough about. So yes, this journey is actually teaching me lifelong lessons, and I'm really grateful for all the bonds that I've made through this.
What is the one motivation that you get or what is the thing that it helps you to get out of that low phase during the process?
There's a quote which says that the road to success is always under construction. I feel in order to succeed in life, I have to go a lot of under construction where I have to amend myself, I have to work on myself. And that's not easy. There are days when it's so challenging. And I wouldn't say every day is same. Some days I just want to talk to my mother. I want her to hear me out and give me her advice. There are days when I just want to sit and go to beach and relax. So you really need to know what works for you. And just listen to your heart. If you're feeling depressed, that's okay. Allow yourself. Never, ever suppress your emotions. And that has been working for me because I really want to do this from my heart. It's my passion. So I just never quit. I try to overcome every challenge.
What message do you have for young women who are striving to balance intelligence, grace, and resilience not just in competitions, but in life as well?
We women have it in us, we just need to recognize our own strength. I have seen my mother juggling between the role of mother and police officer. The message I want to give young women is don't seek external validation, believe in yourself and you will have a wonderful life.
What does fashion mean to you beyond aesthetics — do you see it as a form of self-expression, empowerment, or storytelling?
It is everything, I mean when you express yourself that time you tell your story and that is when you are creative. Fashion if I express in terms of India, then Saree is one of my favourite outfit. Saree speaks volume, it speaks elegance, it tells a story. We have many ways to wear a saree. In north India saree is draped differently, in South India saree is draped differently and each style has its own story. I think in India there is a strong sense of fashion that I feel fashion is about the expression that tells you a story in the most creative way.
You've worked with some of the industry's leading designers — how would you describe your personal style, and how has it evolved through these collaborations?
There must be three C's in my personal style: one is Comfort: My outfit should be comfortable. Confident: I should feel confident after wearing any outfit and it should be creative. I basically incorporate all these points in my outfits and make sure whatever I wear, weather it is Indian or western, all these factors should be there.