New Delhi, June 6 -- Ayesha Kathuria, 19, is sizing up my "very millennial" outfit-oversized white shirt and printed black ankle-length skirt. Red-and-white crew socks would have made my outfit "pop", as would have a light blue bodysuit, is her verdict.

We are meeting in a fast-fashion store in a south Delhi mall. Kathuria pulls a pair of cropped trousers from a rack, and says, "This lavender pink screams 'me'. And this red top. I follow trends but mould them. My style is trends meets chaotic customisation." The college student is referring to the notion of following a trend but pushing personalisation to an extreme. "It's self-expression at its best. It's so my thing."

Kathuria is as serious about finding the next trend as she is about...