We’re incredibly proud of our alumni continuing to reach for the sun and who, in doing so, have become hugely successful in a wide range of fields. From Old Dragons playing for England like Maia Bouchier (OD 2012), and making life-saving apps like Michael Dent (OD 2002), to our Junior Old Dragons making a difference, such as Anya Katanyutanon (OD 2021) who presented her research findings at the World Conference on Public Health (WCPH).
In this latest Diversity of Dragons feature, we celebrate India Wheeler (OD 2013) whose story is shaped by quiet determination and creativity.
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It’s funny looking back at my time at the Dragon because, at the time, I was incredibly shy, but it was a place that quietly allowed everyone to flourish in their own way. There was so much opportunity that you couldn’t help but try things. Two things were gently nurtured in me: perseverance and a competitive streak that I very much still carry (Arduus ad Solem is still etched on my brain).
I remember Ma Mayo in Year Three giving me a perseverance award because I refused to stop trying to get the orange and clove decoration right in a lesson. It sounds insignificant, but that determination, that slight refusal to give up which was built on daily during my Dragon days, has probably been the foundation of everything I’ve done since. When someone says no, or that something won’t work, it tends to make me more certain that I need to try.
My road into fashion was definitely not conventional. I remember being given a booklet of blank dress outlines and spending hours filling them in after school. I didn’t think of it as fashion; I just liked drawing clothes I wanted to wear. Growing up, my ‘taste’ (if you can even call it that back then) felt almost split in two. At home, I lived in little white dresses and soft cotton tops passed down from my older sister, Ella. But in my later boarding years, I was far more focused on keeping up. That meant pink Topshop skinny jeans and Ugg boots, both of which have thankfully had their time. Even then, I always drifted back to those same floaty white dresses. I would wear them year after year, while still searching for the newest Jack Wills top but only to feel current at school. In many ways, my taste hasn’t changed. I still gravitate towards feminine, floaty pieces that don’t date, clothes you can wear this year and again in five without them feeling tied to a moment or trend.
I decided I wanted to start a business when I was about thirteen. After learning about trademarks, I immediately tried to trademark ‘India’, completely unaware that it wouldn’t be remotely possible, affordable, or probably even legal (the ambition was there long before the logic). The real turning point came during the COVID pandemic. I started by selling my old clothes on Depop. When those ran out, I began buying wholesale pieces to resell. I loved the selling and the independence of it, but I didn’t love the product. So, I used the profits to buy a sewing machine. I had never sewn before, but with a lot of YouTube and trial and error, I taught myself. This was and is the full extent of my design education …
‘It’s funny looking back at my time at the Dragon because, at the time, I was incredibly shy, but it was a place that quietly allowed everyone to flourish in their own way’
After university, I worked in marketing in the food industry, then briefly in fashion. I had planned to stay for a year, but it really wasn’t for me, so I left after three months. It was a huge risk, but it clarified something: I just didn’t want to build someone else’s vision long term. It forced me to take the plunge, and I am so grateful the fashion job didn’t work out. I worked four days a week (and still do) for a jewellery brand and spent the other three days and evenings designing and building my first collection.
I launched my first collection in December and named the pieces after my Old Dragon sisters, which feels like quite a full-circle moment. It hasn’t been linear, but it has been an itch I had to scratch. I’ve simply followed what I’ve always been drawn to and refused to stop trying. I’m only two months in, but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next …
India Wheeler (OD 2013)
Let us know what you’ve been up to since your Dragon Days, we’d love to share your story.
