Portrait Series-Jaipur Literature Festival 2020
Category: Culture of India
Backstage-Bibi Russell-Rajasthan Heritage Week 2017
Shot at Rajasthan Heritage Week 2017
Designer- Bibi Russell
Show director-Prasad Bidapa
Photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore
Sneak Peek-Rajasthan Heritage Week
Rajasthan Heritage Week is back with another spectacular season. It’s a great initiative by Khadi board along with Government of Rajasthan in association with Prasad Bidapa Associates. This edition brings some of the best designers & weavers together on one platform to celebrate the luxury of handloom masterpieces of Rajasthan. Few weeks back the campaign was shot at various heritage places of pink city, Jaipur. So here are some exclusive behind the scene pictures which I shot while the campaign was being photographed by ace photographer Haider Khan.
The event will be held from 7-10 December at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. Also do not forget to check out the entire schedule for the fashion week at the end of this post below.
Photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore.
Backstage-IISW-Highlights
The final day of India International Style Week season 2 was a complete fashion extravaganza. From veteran to upcoming designers the show had it all. Top models like Carol Gracias & Lakshmi Rana graced the runway with Bollywood actress Mugdha Godse as showstoppers. The show also saw vivid range of color palette in the collections, from Chirag Nainani‘s indigo to Gazal Mishra‘s pastels to Niharika Pandey‘s quirky take on vibrant tones. The show ended with a thanking note by show director Abhimanyu Singh Tomar with event director Akhilesh Agarwal & promised for another fashion carnival in upcoming month of this year.
Here are some of exclusive backstage pictures shot by me at the final day of the fashion week to give you all a closer look at the collections. Also have a look at the runway images shot officially by photographer Jiten Agarwal here on his page JPIC.in.
Text & photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore.
Designer-Chirag Nainani
Designer-Niharika Pandey
Designer-Jaya Mishra
Designer-Geet Vaishakh
Designer-Antara Goswami
Designer-Anshu Raja Jain
Designer-Gazal Mishra
Style Diaries-Madame Hall
Lisa Hall is the name behind the bespoke quirky label ‘Madame Hall’ whose collection was showcased this year at Lakme Fashion Week. It was her personal instagram account which inspired me to do this photo story. I don’t really adhere the conventional idea of fashion where it changes with seasons as I feel it should be more about self-expression & how you feel rather than what people think. Lisa’s idea of fashion & style is also kind of similar as she’s not into following regular trends but always curious to create what she feels like. Her choice of colors, patterns, prints & materials is truly one of a kind just like her personal story. Lisa is from Sydney, Australia & now she is living in Bhuj from past 5 years as she fell in love with the textiles & embroideries of Kutch. Unlike other western designers who travel to India in search of inspiration & fabrics, Lisa is here to stay.
For this photo story I wanted to shoot in the streets of Bhuj using the old broken doors & rust like backdrops of Aina Mahal which is very close to Lisa’s design studio made a perfect backdrop for shooting her colorful bohemian clothes. Lisa curated & styled each look for this story. She has fabulous eye for details & penchant for traditional gujarati jewels which beautifully blends with her designs. Lisa always happily poses wearing her designs & her instagram account is full of that, visual treat for all boho lovers.
To know more about her label Madame Hall & details about her latest collection visit www.madamehall.com
Photographs & text by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore
Style Diaries: Dolly, Charuta & Komal
Fashion blogging is more than posting a pretty picture on instagram. We are living in the age where selfie cameras are elevating narcissistic tendencies to a whole new level. To be relevant it is very important to have an opinion & you need a voice. What irritates me the most is how boring the trends are getting on the runways & most importantly on streets (as street fashion is not meant to be boring & predictable atleast). The designers seems to be obsessed with boxy silhouettes & are more inclined towards everything very clean & chic. Where is the originality? Why sudden love for everything anti-fit or handlooms? Why everybody is trying to fit-in instead of standing out? I think they all are working on similar mood boards. Thankfully when Elle India recently posted an article I was finally relieved that someone reputed atleast pointed it out.
Fortunately three Delhi fashionistas are breaking the style norms without following any particular fashion trend & keeping the street fashion alive with their quirky & unpredictable personal style which they have developed in years. Also I had a great chance to interact with these 3 style bloggers who were kind enough to take some time & answer all my fashion curiosities which I always wanted to ask & to know more about their style inspirations.
Photographs & text by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore.
Dolly Singh
Dolly Singh is a style chameleon. She keeps on re-inventing her style, rising from her india modern avatar of kitschy fashion to more provocative & dramatic version of high-street it girl.
Blog name- Spill the sass
Instagram @spill_the_sass
Abhimanyu (AB): Tell me about your blogging journey?
Dolly Singh (DS): I was always interested in clothes and shoes as far as I can remember. When I first started reading blogs I came across the dearth of relatable bloggers, bloggers who not only talked about fashion but also my budget. I also wanted to talk about how you don’t really have to have a huge wardrobe, you CAN repeat clothes, just know how to do it right. This is why I started my own thing about 2 years back.
AB: Trend you hate the most?
DS: Hi-low hem dresses. Never wore them, never will.
AB: Recently Indian bloggers were featured on a reputed fashion publication’s magazine cover, your take on that?
DS: I loved it. The fact that the community is growing so strong and in some way the work done is being appreciated always counts. I do feel strongly, however, that we must stand our ground and talk about what the readers want, what we want, instead of what the big corporations are trying to make us do.
AB: Any dreams to be on a magazine cover someday? If yes which magazine?
DS: Well, who doesn’t right? Any magazine would do, as long as it’s the cover haha. If I had to choose, my favorites would be Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.
AB: Favorite TV series?
DS: At the moment, I can’t wait for the second season of Stranger Things.
AB: Celebrity you would like to style someday?
DS: I would love to style Rihanna, not because she needs it but because it will be a dream come true.
AB: Who would you choose as ideal fashion week front row partner?
DS: That would be one of my favourite youtuber, Grace Helbig. She gives hilarious fashion reviews.
AB: Favorite Pop icon?
DS: Ed Sheeran, currently.
AB: Blogs you look upto?
DS: Man Repeller, of course!
AB: Things one should take care during Blog photoshoots?
DS: The makeup, it can make it or break it.
Komal Pandey
Komal Pandey is a fashion blogger at The College Couture. She is a popular face of Popxo youtube channel & has become a quintessential face of pretty much everything in everyday life of a young girl. Her personal style is quite visible on her blog & yes she wears it all in real life (on the streets ) too!
Blog- The College Couture
Instagram- @thecollegecouture
AB: -Story behind the name The College Couture?
Komal Pandey (KP): My blog was the result of a really bad break up. Same old story, how you get out of a bad relationship and you wanna do something rebellious…. different? So that was it. I stared my blog The College Couture.
AB: Why “The College Couture” ?
KP: Because all of this happened in College. Sounds really random, but yeah.
AB: Blogs you look upto?
KP: I love a lot of blogs and follow them but I don’t look upto any. I look upto people on the streets and it’s the real fashion on real people that motivates me.
AB: What inspires you in terms of fashion & style?
KP: Same answer, people on the streets.
AB: Kate Moss or Gigi Hadid?
KP: Gigi Hadid.
AB: Worst fashion era ?
KP: 2000’s.
AB: Favorite shopping destination in India?
KP: Sarojini, New Delhi
AB: Who would you choose as ideal fashion week front row partner?
KP: My boyfriend. He is an Engineer. It would be nice to have someone from a different spectrum watch it with me. Fascinating, no?
AB: Favorite movie you love watching just for style & fashion?
KP: All bollywood movies from the 90’s. Especially Karishma Kapoor‘s. I think she wore the dopest outfits in the 90’s!
AB: Favorite fashion week moment in India?
KP: Obviously meeting you and seeing a new colourful outfit EVERYDAY. I am being VERY honest, right now.
Charuta Arvind Yadav
Charuta’s sartorial choices told girls it is okay to be whimsical, kooky & quirky about fashion. She also runs a DIY label known as Adagio . Her mother helps & supports her immensely to curate each of her creative looks.
Blog- Modayalda
Instagram- @charuta_modayalda
AB: Your blog is also known for quirky DIYs, how it started?
CY (Charuta Yadav): I do not like mass produced fashion, I feel like it makes us all look like sheep, in my quest to wear something unique, something that has a sense of individuality to it I started doing DIYs which also led to my brand. Also I had seen my mom make clothes for me when I was a kid and those clothes were nothing like what other kids wore so that inspired me too.
AB: Favorite style inspirations?
CY: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.
AB: Heels or sneakers?
CY: Heels handsdown.
AB: According to you the best era in fashion?
CY: It has to be sixties and seventies. Sixties and seventies were a game changer for women’s fashion. Sixties gave birth to the iconic mini and seventies was all about being bold and powerful. Women started suiting up. Hippie fashion, punk, goth, tailored dressing, these two era’s gave birth to so many trends and I can’t possibly chose between the two. It was a time of beautiful transition.
AB: Favorite Bollywood movie who you enjoy watching for the sake of fashion & style?
CY: It has to be all of Sanjay Leela Bansali‘s movie.
AB: Fashion film you love watching?
CY : Cliche but Devil wears Prada, though I immensely enjoy watching biopics like Coco Chanel and House of Versace to know these designers started and eventually grew into fashion giants that they are today.
AB: Your take on latest trends here in India?
CY: We need to keep up with the international trends.
AB: Music on your playlist currently?
CY: Lana del ray, Coldplay & Hozier
AB: Fashion book you highly recommend to aspiring fashion bloggers?
CY: None
AB: Manish Arora or Ashish UK?
CY: Manish Arora hands down. His clothes truly aren’t for the weak-hearted.
Best of street style-AIFW A/W 17
Street Style-Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017
Best of street fashion from New Delhi
Photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore
Backstage-DNA Fashion Connect
Pink city Jaipur witnessed another fashion extravaganza in form of season 1 of DNA fashion connect which bought city based popular designers as well as upcoming designers on one platform to celebrate fashion & style. Fashion designer Gazal Mishra, Pooja Miglani, Suvigya Sharma, Karn Pratap Khuteta, Kirti Rathore & Jaya Gajawat showcased the latest trends on the catwalk. The event also saw Bollywood actor Himansh Kohli, famous TV actor Aman Verma, Mr India finalist Bharat Sainani & top model Mudit Malhotra who walked the runway as showstoppers along with city’s popular faces Sangeeta Gharu, Dushyant Katewa & Priyanka Parashar. The show was directed by Abhimanyu Singh Tomar. Bollywood groovy tracks as well as international chartbusters like Cheap Thrills by Sia or Sorry by Justin Bieber were played on the catwalk.
Here I am sharing the personal portraits I shot at backstage (as usual) of the collection to give a closer look on details of the ensembles. While I was having fun shooting backstage, official photographer Jiten Agarwal was having blast shooting the runway (check the runway images on JPIC.in)
Photographs & text by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore.
Location-Grand Uniara, Jaipur
Designer-Suvigya Sharma
Pooja Miglani
Gazal Mishra
Jaya Gajawat
Kirti Rathore
Street Style-Rajasthan Heritage Week
Rajasthan Heritage Week
Place-Diggi Palace, Jaipur
Photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore
Portraits-Jaipur Literature Festival
Zee Jaipur Literature Festival the annual literary festival happens every year in the heart of pink city Jaipur, Rajasthan. As the festival is just 3 days away so I thought this would be the right time to publish the portrait series which I shot last year in 2016. This year is going to be special as it also marks the 10th anniversary of the festival.There is something mesmerizing about the festival which drags me to Jaipur every year ever since I first volunteered in 2012. The people, the culture & the music everything is so perfect. Whether it’s the diggipuri chai, the venue diggi palace, clueless crowd or the beautiful voice of anchor Catriona Mitchell, I love everything about the festival.
Last year I thought to do black & white series of portraits capturing the important faces of festival in 2016 starting from the festival director William Dalrympal to controversial indian columnist Shobha De. I felt very lucky to capture these intriguing faces very closely. Every portrait is very special for me & I am very proud to share this photo series with all of you.
Photographs by Abhimanyu Singh Rathore
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