The Art of Being Fabulous by Shalini Passi: A Manifesto for Living Gracefully
Fabulousness is usually misunderstood. It’s assumed to be loud, indulgent, or performative, something you display. In the book, The Art of Being Fabulous, Shalini Passi gently flips that assumption. Fabulousness, she suggests, is not about being noticed, it’s about being rooted. It’s an inner alignment that quietly shapes how one moves through the world.
From the very beginning, Passi positions fabulousness not as a finish line but as a practice. Something you return to daily. Something that deepens with self-awareness, discipline, and grace.
A Life Lived With Purpose (and Plenty of Reflection)
Known to many from Netflix’s Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, Shalini Passi steps away from the screen and into a far more introspective space with her debut book. Here, fabulousness takes on a new meaning which is less about image and more about intention.
Blending memoir, self-help, and personal manifesto, the book draws heavily from the influences in her life: the people who shaped her thinking, the environments that refined her taste, and the values that anchored her during moments of change. Rather than offering a universal formula, Passi distills her lived experiences into ten guiding principles, each one a reflection of how becoming fabulous is cultivated from the inside out.
As a reader, you don’t just observe her journey; you’re invited to examine your own. What does fabulousness look like when no one is watching or when you are not seeking approval?
What the Book Offers
Reading this book is less about instruction and more about self-inquiry. Being Fabulous, as Passi presents it, unfolds through contras: joy and discipline, softness and strength, aspiration and acceptance.
Ten Principles
Each chapter explores a facet of fabulousness through personal anecdotes and reflective insights. These aren’t rigid rules, rather encouraging readers to define success and beauty on their own terms.
Fabulousness Begins From Within
A recurring reminder throughout the book is that glamour may open doors, but it’s presence that keeps them open. Clarity, boundaries, kindness, and consistency form the backbone of a fabulous life.
Personal Stories and Reflections
Passi avoids grand declarations. Instead, she uses personal stories, small moments, personal reflections and lived lessons to show how fabulousness is built quietly, through everyday choices and self-trust.
Reflections on Key Themes
Fabulousness as a Way of Being
In this book, fabulousness is not something you wear; it’s something you embody. It reveals itself in how you listen, how you respond, and how you hold space for yourself and others. Elegance becomes ethical, and beauty becomes intentional.
Presence Over Popularity
One of the book’s most resonant ideas is the distinction between being visible and being present. Passi challenges the culture of constant validation, suggesting that true fabulousness lies in depth of character rather than volume of attention.
Kindness as Strength
Perhaps the most compelling redefinition of fabulousness comes through kindness. Here, compassion is a form of strength that steadies you and quietly elevates everyone around you. Reading about philanthropic ventures, it is a quiet statement that being kind and concerned need not be performative to make an impact.
Final Thoughts
The Art of Being Fabulous ultimately treats fabulousness as a mirror. Through Shalini Passi’s personal stories, influences, and reflections, readers are led through a spectrum of emotions—admiration, introspection, and, most importantly, self-recognition.
This is a book that asks you to pause and consider your own values, your definition of beauty, and the authenticity of the life you’re building. Aspirational yet grounded, stylish yet soulful, it reminds us that fabulousness is not a performance,it’s a lived alignment between who you are and how you choose to show up.
About the Author
Shalini Passin is a noted Delhi-based art collector, artist, and philanthropist. Known for her prominent voice in contemporary art patronage and starring role in the 2024 Netflix reality series Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, Passi defines fabulousness as a form of profound self-trust and the courage to carry one’s own story, rather than seeking applause or conforming to trends.
This book is part of BookChatter book recommendations of January 2026.
