Murder, She Wrote

Dipping into her experiences in the sartorial world, Amina Akhtar pens #FashionVictim, a thriller about a killer in the already cut-throat fashion industry. The former style editor connects the dots from reality to fiction in an interaction with Sholeen Damarwala.

- Sholeen Damarwala

A mina Akhtar’s debut fiction novel, #FashionVictim, is a murder mystery with a complex protagonist who has a penchant for Givenchy and a fascination with blood. And though her story (a notso-sample-sized fashion girl goes on a killing spree in order to retain her position in a popular fashion magazine) is woundingly funny, Akhtar also examines serious topics that still riddle the American publishing scene — race, representation and body issues. The Pakistani-American author, who traded in her city life for the mountains of Arizona, borrows references from a 16-year stint in the fashion industry with leading publications such as the New York Times’ Style section and New York Magazine’s fashion blog The Cut, of which she is a founding editor. Akhtar fully understands what it takes to navigate the treacherous territory of New York City’s cut-throat media landscape. “I once had a boss who always threw shoes at my head,” she says nonchalantly. “I eventually learnt how to dodge her.” Although she insists the book is a heavily exaggerated version of her real-life experiences — “Let’s just say I have never murdered anyone,” she clarifies — the overarching theme of power imbalances and their implications is unequivocally relatable.

As rain pelts down on the streets of New York, I catch up with Akhtar who’s back in the city to promote her book after two long years. Excerpts from our conversation….

YOUR BOOK IS QUITE GRIPPING. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU THINK OF THE PLOT?