Diipa Büller-Khosla on life during the lockdown

It’s a muggy afternoon in Mumbai when I call Diipa Büller-Khosla. The New Delhi-born globetrotting influencer is in Amsterdam with her Dutch husband, Oleg Büller, and their two pet dogs, Kubii and Bimbii. Although it’s early in the morning for her, she greets me with an effusive “Hello!” as we begin chatting. She is resolutely upbeat, casting the current challenging COVID-19 circumstance in the most positive light possible. “Moments like these make you realise that you can connect with people from all over the world and echo the sentiment that we're all in this together,” she says.

Büller-Khosla doesn’t downplay the difficulties. “In the beginning, it was a bit of a roller coaster for us, probably like it’s been for everyone,” she says, sharing her shock over the shutdown, compounded by her deep, conflicting emotions (confusion, exasperation, apprehension and anxiety) towards this ‘new normal’. In the past few years, the double-tappable rendition of her life continued to hurtle like an express train, taking Büller-Khosla across countries for work, fashion weeks and the humanitarian causes she supports, such as Post For Change, an NGO she founded in collaboration with UNICEF India. “A pivotal part of my job involves travelling; I'd be on a flight twice a week or so sometimes. I have never stayed at home for such a prolonged period.” Now, her days are spent sequestered indoors cooking with Oleg, meditating, and pursuing a degree in marketing.

“Why are we trying to be so productive?”

Exactly a year ago, Büller-Khosla walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival dressed in an achromatic Edwin Oudshoorn Couture dress. But May 2020 paints a painful polarity as it marks two months since everyone retreated into their homes in the Netherlands. “When we went into lockdown in early March, India and the US were still up and running, so we continued working. Our day began as early as 6.30am, to walk the dogs or work out and eventually catch up on emails and phone calls.” Two weeks in, the pair had an epiphany: “Everyone is chilling. Why are we trying to be so productive when everything is shut down?” she says, adding, “I think my body realised it needed to slow down, and so I did.” This off-the-clock phase included a panoply of fun activities such as binge-watching Game Of Thrones and reading self-help books.

“We organise date nights at home”

As befits a storybook narrative, the couple organises regular date nights at home to keep the romance alive. “The most recent one was spontaneous. We pulled out all the stops by cooking together, dressing up and dancing the night away. I would love to continue this ritual even after this is over,” Büller-Khosla says. Her other bastion of refuge has been their impromptu forest getaways: “AirBnB rents these beautiful accommodations in the woods a mere 40-minute drive away. The best part? They are now at one-third the usual tariff. So Oleg and I would take off intermittently over a weekend to envelope ourselves in nature.” Expending energy on exercise is another index to recharge and rejuvenate. “Ours is an active lifestyle; we run at least three to four times a week in the wee hours of the morning, as social distancing prevails. On alternate days, we practise yoga and mediation. To go all in, a hardcore workout with weights and personal training on Zoom is the answer.”

You can argue that being in a complete lockdown with a partner can be tricky and trying. But when I ask about how they manage me-time, her words reinforce the impression of connubial bliss: “Some people need personal time. For us, at least at this moment, I enjoy spending undivided time with him and he enjoys spending time with me. Call it our personality types, but our time together grounds us more.”

“Oleg steps in for daily duties when I need to step down”

When I broach the subject of sharing the domestic load—the bane of every cohabiting couple’s existence—Büller-Khosla laughs, recalling her first stint with laundry that went awry: “I turned all the whites into a colour riot and Oleg’s cashmeres shrunk to my size.” That settled him being in charge of the chore. With regards to segregating other responsibilities, the duo has distinct demarcations. “I love to cook,” she quips, about the activity she doesn’t mind being committed to. She dabbles between Indian fare and continental cuisine. “Our go-to dish is jackfruit biryani.” And for all things cleaning, Oleg and she take turns.

“I try to mix things up with my self-isolation outfits”

Büller-Khosla’s social media feed, usually inundated with red-carpet looks, is now replaced with quarantine styling hacks for her one million followers on Instagram. “While I turn to couture for events, my personal style is total model-off-duty,” she explains. “So, it's just like before, as if I were going to the office. I am mixing dressy clothing with more casual wear.” More often than not, she resorts to athleisure like the rest of us. “Comfort cannot be compromised, although I have not shied away from playing with colours, like injecting vibrant pastels into my fitness separates or laid-back floral dresses.” She’s also pillaging pieces relegated to the back of her closet. “I love to style items that I haven’t worn in a while and rediscover them.”

“Selfcare is not about vanity, but honouring yourself”

Skincare precedes makeup for Büller-Khosla, whose vanity brushes are on a sabbatical. She adds that an intrinsic awareness of one’s body and overall health—a diligent skincare practice balanced with a wholesome diet and fitness regime—can turn back the years. “Just like we religiously sweat it out and meticulously pick what we eat, it pays to pick a skincare product with the right ingredients. There was a time when I’d be smitten by pretty packaging. After I noticed a big difference in my complexion with the right products, I have become more ingredient-focused than brand-centric.” She supercharges her face every morning with Vitamin C serum after using a deep cleanser. And once she slathers her moisturiser on, her complexion is ready to be topped off with sunscreen. Her holy grail to sleeping away to younger skin is retinol. “Since it’s potent, I alternate it with glycolic acid,” she discloses. Büller-Khosla has also mastered microneedling and the art of sculpting her brows at home. “I’m still struggling with doing my nails, but I’ll get there,” she laughs.

“Family is everything”

As we grapple to find a deeper meaning in this unprecedented time, Büller-Khosla still has faith in the redeeming power of slowing down. “We were on overdrive, constantly running. The silver lining for everyone is to take a step back and become more conscious of themselves, the people around them, and the planet. I'm grateful for that.” Most importantly, she’s thankful for being cocooned with her husband while being connected to her family in New Delhi. “Growing up, my parents’ professional endeavours compelled us to move a lot, so family was the only constant. It’s been my core and always will be.” So what’s the first thing she plans to do after the lockdown is lifted? “Take a flight to India and host a family reunion with Oleg.”

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