An afternoon with a New York Muse

By Peter Lubell

Geeta Minocha waves her coffee cup excitedly as she speaks, but never spills a drop.

She’s asked Spencer to join us. He’s a writer who’s spent much of the last year working on a novel, Geeta. “I’m moved that someone took the time to write about me, but a whole book is intense.”

Though she invited him, Geeta is apprehensive at the prospect of Spencer dropping by. She hasn’t seen him in over a year and is certain this book will distort parts of her life. On the other hand, she’s also a little thrilled that he’s written a book about her. “He didn’t even tell me about this until the first draft was done.”

We’ve snagged a coveted happy hour table at the Chelsea Hotel, one of her favorite haunts. She credits fashion designer Parron Allen for introducing her to it through his many design sessions there. Geeta was one of his go-to models for his ’23/’24 collections. The brunette, shimmering Geeta smiles over her cappuccino. “I named his girls the Parronettes,” she says. “I’m a Halston fan.”

I met Geeta two years ago at Anita Durst’s annual ChaShaMa Gala, where she stepped into the Manhattan consciousness by allowing artist Andy Golub to paint on her nude body. Now, at twenty-seven, she’s become a fixture of the New York social scene.

Geeta had posed for artists before, including painter Viraj Mithani, whom she met while being honored on Forbes’ inaugural 30 Under 30 Local List. Still, being part of an art project happening in real time, and in public, was something new.

“The gala thing felt different and exciting. Worth taking a little risk for. Alcohol definitely helped. Still, posing in the privacy of an artist’s studio is different from posing two minutes after meeting them in front of a large audience.”

She made an impression.

Geeta somehow pulls off the trick of seeming nowhere and omnipresent at the same time. Go to a benefit and you might hear whispers of her links to various New York bigwigs, like Joel Whitney of the Brooklyn Public Library or Remy Raisner of The Raisner Group. Catch a glimpse of her at these events, and you’ll see her warmly welcomed by the most recognizable people in the room. She jokes, “I think people are just impressed by how much I keep to myself at parties.”

For all her claims of discomfort in the spotlight, I’ve yet to see her shrink from one.

Geeta often hits the town with musician Luna Grey. After a show last Fashion Week, Grey panicked after running into an ex and asked whether she should say hello.

“Don’t be fucking stupid,” Geeta said.

Grey wrote a song about this moment, and Geeta has agreed to record the spoken-word line for the upcoming album. She’s also guest-starred in the music video for another of Luna’s songs, Pick Me Up.

Geeta’s life is a constellation of fashion, nightlife, academia, and policy. These days, she’s asked to lend her eye and network to political campaigns, fashion collections, and public policy discussions. “I’m a lawyer, and my work in law, healthcare, and policy is my first priority. But I love having creative outlets, and they’re useful currency for more traditional rooms.”

Banking access is the cause closest to her heart. During law school, she founded the Ohio Public Banking Coalition to advocate for public banking in her beloved home state. She later served as Executive Director of the Public Banking Institute.

“If we’re serious about ending poverty and rebuilding a middle class in this country, we have to expand banking access.”

Near the end of our coffee, Spencer arrives, amped and breathless. He’s eager to give his take on who Geeta is, what makes her tick. He keeps referencing his book, this case study, and it seems unclear to all three of us whether this will ever be published.

Geeta takes it all in, says very little. When he steps away to get a drink, she leans toward me. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” But that she invited him at all says something. Geeta has a lot to do. And she likes to mix things up. People want to paint her, write about her, and have her wear their clothes. She’s serious and frivolous, disciplined and impulsive, withholding and warm, all at once.

What’s next?

She laughs. “Anything I want.”