Once Mocked for His Accent, Today He Designs for Gucci & Dior

Saurabh Pandey was once the boy who never fit in. Born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, he grew up with dreams that did not match the expectations around him.

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His father drove a taxi in Mumbai, and as the eldest of three, everyone expected him to become a doctor or an engineer. But Saurabh’s heart was set on fashion.

When he moved to Mumbai, he lived with his father in a tiny chawl. To survive, he worked 12-hour shifts at a mall while chasing his dream of design. Opportunities came his way, but never easily. His Awadhi accent and village roots often made him stand out, and at his first job he was mocked and eventually fired.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in his village, he found himself under pressure to marry. Instead of giving in, Saurabh made a life-changing decision: to accept himself openly and unapologetically. To his surprise, his parents embraced him with a love he had never expected. That moment became his turning point.

Over the next five years, he designed for Gucci, Prada, and Dior. Later, he began creating content, turning the very Awadhi that once drew mockery into his greatest strength.

Today, millions laugh with him, grandmothers bless him, and his story carries one message: when you accept yourself, the world follows.