![]() Some may argue that fashion magazines have created a westernised version of the rest of the world in their pages, but I’ve decided to play along, for the sake of fashion, art and a bit of day-dreaming. It may have become a cliché in the pictorials shot on location, but the truth is I don’t think I will ever get tired of the safari theme and of my romanticised idea of the African safari. Travelling to exotic places has long ago stopped being a privilege for the wealthy, but it still provides a constant backdrop for fashion photography, retaining a certain allure that impels to adventure. I always thought we were selling dreams, not clothes. For me, every photograph is a portrait the clothes are just a vehicle for what I want to say. Women were also being taught for the first time that they must have fun with fashion. I like form and shape and strength in pictures. Clothes ill-suited for exploring the African savannahs, Moroccco, Bali, India, Taiwan, Syria and Jordan, but which triggered the imagination of the viewer. ![]() No matter how foreign and picturesque the destination, the highest heels and the most glamorous gowns were de rigueur. Pioneer photographers like Norman Parkinson, Henry Clarke, Franco Rubartelli and Gleb Derujinsky took models out of the confines of the studios and into faraway locations all over the world. “Discover your inner lioness”, was her prime directive. Diana Vreeland, with her visionary mind, was the one who made fashion gorgeously global and exotic and awoke in the readers of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue the sense of adventure with her fantastical, dare-to-dream editorials. One of the biggest gifts of fashion photography has always been that it allowed women to dream. “When I shot for Karan Torani in Kerela with elephants, the shoot led me to explore borderline surrealism, and I continue to interpret some form of it in various ways.” Thus Sarkar’s stint with computer-generated graphics intertwined with photography emerged.The more far-flung and exotic the location, the greater the glamour. This work changed the trajectory of my work, and I started to introduce some quirk into my images, as subtly as I could.” As he continued his work in fashion, Sarkar started dabbling into surrealism. For his work with designer Suket Dhir in Jantar Mantar, Sarkar says, “I got drawn to the geometry and the scare of architecture. Having worked closely with designers like Rajesh Pratap Singh and Sanjay Garg during his initial days as a professional photographer, Sarkar wanted to develop alternative and experimental imagery to break away from the mould of commercial campaigns. ![]() ‘Self-portrait from the first lockdown.’ “I hadn't taken a proper picture of myself in nearly 12 years, and during the lockdown, had nobody else to shoot, so I started and found that I could transform myself into the strange characters in my head.” Menon Pranoy Sarkar While speaking about her work, Menon enthusiastically states, “I guess in the bigger scheme of things I want to create stories that go beyond selling clothes to put out an imagined universe very close to reality but with much more empathy and curiosity for alternative culture, with a side order of humor.” And when asked about what genre she identifies her work with, she adds humorously, “Mockumentary drama.” Menon started her career as a fine art photographer, combining mixed media and storytelling she ventured into fashion as she realized the possibilities of using fabric and drapes in ways to create characters. The sequin gloves were used in close portraits as shown in the image to emphasize the look and give an extraterrestrial vibe.” Pretika Menon That is why the stylist suggested a metallic dress combined with white balaclava and boots that gave a distant resemblance to an astronaut’s spacesuit. “This is another favorite image of mine from a recent shoot inspired by the concept, “Space.” We tried to create a fashion look based on this theme using modern trendy attire.
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