The Word. speaks to the Internet's most-loved couple about starring in Gap's iconic holiday campaign, their personal style, and how they deal with tough situations.
- Fashion
Jay Shetty and Radhi Devlukia On Love, Learning From Each Other, and More
Radhi Devlukia and Jay Shetty in Gap’s Holiday 2023 campaign
The Word.: What, according to you, are the most essential qualities to make a relationship work?
Jay Shetty: “Respect is necessary. We often want our partners to like what we like or do what we feel like doing…but respecting each other’s differences is a far more useful trait. Compassion is key. Without compassion, we might believe that our partner should be okay with and easily agree to the changes we want, not recognising that different people find different things difficult or hard to deal with. It makes us more patient and thoughtful. Humility is life-changing…ego ruins so many relationships. Humility is also essential for teamwork. Communication is so powerful—communicating about the small and big things is extremely necessary.”
Radhi Devlukia: “[I think it’s important to have] someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously…and has the desire to continue growing.”
TW.: We love watching you both on social media…you make relationships look easy. But is it that effortless in real life, too?
JS: “I am genuinely grateful for the relationship we have. I love that we trust each other, and allow each other to be ourselves. That doesn’t mean it is easy, but it makes it simpler.”
RD: “In life, anything that’s worthwhile, is never ‘easy’. So no, it’s not easy, and that doesn’t mean it’s difficult either…but it is work. And the work is part of the fun.”
TW.: How do you deal with difficult situations?
JS: “We work together as a team. And we communicate and support each other through it.”
RD: “I deal with things by taking time to gather my thoughts. Jay helps me take the time to resolve my feelings, and that, in turn, helps us understand each other better. Also, through his actions, he has taught me that it’s both of us against the problem, not us against each other.”
TW.: You have been married for many years now. What’s the secret ingredient to ensure that love and passion never fizzle out?
RD: “In our relationship, I think it is Jay’s ability to be extremely present with people…and one can feel his full attention and energy in that moment.”
JS: “Something I have grown to appreciate over the years is Radhi’s emotional awareness and emotional regulation. She knows if she just needs to take a break, or if she needs to work out… And she is committed to the practices, whether it be crying or whether it be working out, as a healing practice.
Self-healing and self-regulation, in my opinion, are very difficult. We often seek for other people to solve that, but Radhi’s really good at not only being aware of it herself, but also healing herself through it.”
TW.: The Gap campaign looks fabulous! Tell us what it signifies for you both.
JS: “It’s been a wonderful experience. Anytime I get to do anything with my wife is always really fun for me. Growing up in London, we’d always look to the epic American holiday Gap campaigns. They have had so many iconic people, and I am so grateful that they thought of us.”
RD: “Being a part of the campaign was incredible because I have been wearing Gap since I was a baby. When my mother was buying gifts for birthdays or family members, she would always go to the Gap, because she saw it as a luxury, high-quality brand. She still has things from over 30 years ago that she wears, and the pieces look so stylish! It was an honour to be a part of such an iconic brand campaign.”
TW: How would you describe your personal style?
JS: “Fashion for me is self-expression. You will find a lot of uniform clothing in my wardrobe. If I like the fit, I buy the same T-shirt or trousers in a couple of different colours…and that’s my go-to daily uniform which makes things simple, and life easier. I find that fashion helps me feel how I want to feel—on any given day, I can feel comfy, I can feel confident, I can feel cosy, I can feel vibrant, I can feel abundant… I love layering as well, I like piecing together a nice pair of trousers with a shirt and a cardigan—so any opportunity where I get to do that, I am excited.”
RD: “It depends on my mood, really! I can go from looking ‘street’ to casual, to being in full glam. You won’t usually catch me in a designer label, but I really enjoy having cool pieces that I can experiment with.”
TW.: Lastly, what’s your favourite thing about the festive or holiday season?
JS: “I think the holidays can be a challenging, difficult, and stressful time for so many people. And often, it can bring about nerves and anxiety even more than joy. I think that it’s wonderful to just try to remind ourselves to take a moment to be grateful and thoughtful…and to take a moment to help others in need. To be of service to others, for me, is the most beautiful reminder at this time. I’m glad that the campaign helped us kind of spotlight that in some of the messaging that we put around it.”
RD: “I look forward to family time, tuning out, and just going with the flow of nature and the ‘slow season’ —which is very necessary.”
