PEHCHAAN Published by The Students' Magazine Club of Ahmedabad University

October-November Edition

The Centerpiece

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Cover Page Design A shared objective of both the arts and fashion is to depict, evoke, and tell a story. The techniques, materials, and sources of inspiration used to create fashion and artistic works are frequently the same. We have made an effort to emphasize the significance of silhouettes, shadows, and color in this Dall-E-produced image.

*Disclaimer: All views expressed in this edition are of the authors. The university and Pehchaan do not endorse or take responsibility for any of the ideas and thoughts expressed in this edition.*

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Editor's Priya Mehta, III Year, BA (Hons.) Akhil Mundaplackal, III Year, BS (Hons.)

Note

Fashion is an irrefutable fact of the modern world. Although rooted in the belief of utility above all, it often rather than seldom becomes an expression of art. Artists use colours, shapes, and designs to express, evoke and describe. In this edition, we try to uncover the interwoven nature of art and fashion. From the resurgence of the Y2K trends and aesthetics, we have seen a rise in interaction among fashion and art forms in multiple domains, whether it be from political resistance or self-expression. Clothes, designs, colours, shapes, paints, and aesthetics have always been used as a form of expression, allowing people to try and represent their identities in creative and, more often, experimental ways. More often than not, fashion serves as an experience, allowing people to explore different ideas, step into other's shoes and be whomever they want to be. In our day-to-day lives, we get to practice and perform art through fashion. An abstract concept such as art becomes tangible through clothing, as fashion encapsulates artistic delivery, fluidity of ideas, emotions, and personality. It also allows people to personalise the art in their lives. Art exists for its own sake; it's a timeless entity, making appearances in our lives through various means. Due to its cultural and historical significance, art and its various modes have always been kept on a higher pedestal than fashion. It has inspired fashion to such an extent that we see social, economic, cultural, historical, and geographical differences revealing themselves with a closer look. The Centrepiece highlights how art and fashion reflect upon every aspect of our society. We are thankful for all your contributions and the immense love and support you have shown us. Happy Reading!

c

Social & Political

n

We Never Go Out Of Style

The Summer I turned Beautiful

Fashion Through A Binocular Lens

o

Fashion: Medium Of Self-Expression Fashion: A Social Construct

Keeping Up With Indianness Caste in Stone

The Gallery of Contemporary Anti-Caste Resistance

Profile

In Conversation With Nandini Chirimar

e 01

03 07

09

11

13 17

21

33

Creative Writing Art in attire

A free overjoyed trip Glee of Beauty

Sleeping in her Beauty

39 40 41

42

t e n

Entertainment & Lifestyle

43 What Gave The Boost To Streetwear & Athleisure? 49

53

57

s

High-Fashion: Reimagined

What Makes A Movie "Look Like" A Movie? 7 Khoon Maaf

Environmental Impact

61

A Voice For The Voiceless

Artwork & Photography

65 67

From The Collection - Project Zero Marjorie

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

We Never Go By Prarthna Iyer

Designed by Siya Bhandari Fashion is fickle; it rarely stagnates. As we immerse ourselves in its world, our bodies and wallets scramble to keep up. However, unlike other industries, the fashion industry is not one that solely relies on the invention and discovery of new ideas in order to thrive – novel ideas in fashion are often reminiscent of the past, mutated versions of their predecessors. My mother’s bootcut jeans from the nineties and my older sister’s colourful sunglasses from the 2000s seem to fit seamlessly into my closet as these trends now return in the early 2020s. My closet, my mother’s and her mother’s, and perhaps my son’s in the future – all represent the life cycle of an industry constantly in flux and shifting as culture and society evolve.

Image Source: New York Times

Image Source: nylon.com

Image Source: whowhatwear.com

Image Source: vogue.fr

The early 20th century saw the emergence of big fashion houses, like Chanel and Gucci, whose collections were heavily inspired by ideas from history. These collections had a clear stylistic direction and focused on enhancing the model's femininity through different silhouettes.

In 1947, Christian Dior created the ‘New Look’ collection (Borrelli-Persson, 2016). It celebrated opulence and luxury, and the main features of the clothes in the collection were rounded shoulders, a cinched waist and a full skirt. It was Dior who popularised the ‘hourglass figure’ in mainstream society during this time. ‘New Look’ was seen as an attempt for women post World War II to ‘regain’ their ‘lost femininity’. Slowly, more designers began searching for inspiration in forgotten trends until it became common practice (Mingėlaitė, 2022). In 2021, the “Y2K” (as in, year two thousand) aesthetic took the internet by storm as celebrities and influencers alike began donning clothes evocative of the late 90s-early 2000s. There was a sharp rise in the popularity of classic Y2K trends such as flared pants, silk scarves, low-rise jeans and blingy belts, to name a few. This maximalist aesthetic followed the revival of early 90s fashion in the 2010s, which was grittier and more ‘grunge’. In general, fashion seems to follow a roughly 20-year life cycle. 01

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Out Of Style

Image Source: vogue.sg

Image Source: vogue.sg

10's

Image Source: @oliviarodrigo

James Laver gave a possible explanation of this phenomenon in his book Taste and Fashion (1937), wherein he hypothesised Laver’s Law of Fashion (Potts & Reeves-DeArmond, 2014). It chronologically describes fashion as it is introduced, accepted, rejected and eventually considered ‘beautiful’ 150 years after it was considered ‘current’. While this exact timeline may not hold today, we see a general tendency of items to typically pass through an introduction phase, an increase in popularity, a peak and then a decline and eventual rejection (before it is once again revived). However, Laver’s Law is simply a theoretical framework with little scholarly research or investigation. Since its introduction, fashion trend life cycles and the industry itself have largely evolved. Today, trends fade and return faster than ever, thanks to technology, the fast pace of the fashion industry and its ability to produce and cater to a consumerist audience. The life cycle of fashion goes beyond the industry itself and extends to the philosophy of aesthetics – it delves into the conception of beauty through the ages and raises the question of not only what is considered beautiful but also who is considered beautiful. From “dainty and petite” on the one hand to “curvy and voluptuous” on the other, the ‘ideal’ body to which we aspire goes in and out of fashion, the same

same way clothes do. Today and always, trends reflect these notions of beauty in society during that period. This constant flux puts immense pressure on the average consumer to stay up-to-date, to avoid being considered tacky or outdated, and is highly unsustainable in the short run because of how unpredictable and volatile trends are today. So, the next time your mother pulls out one of her old dresses from her teenage years, maybe give it a chance. After all, you never know; you might see it on runways the next day. References: Borrelli-Persson, L. (2016, September 30). Tracing Christian Dior’s Changing Silhouettes in Vogue. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/christian-diorarchival-looks. Mingėlaitė, U. (2022, January 25). Why Are Fashion Trends Returning? L’Officiel Baltic. https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion/why-are-fashiontrends-returning. Potts, N., & Reeves-DeArmond, G. (2014). Re-evaluation of Laver ’s Law in the context of fashion trend revival. Iowa State University Digital Repository. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/212845232.pdf.

02

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Summer The

I turned

by Priya Mehta

Designed by Bhavya Patodi

Aofie decides she hates three things: her favorite black sequined corset, the school trip she was forced to go on when her entire world was falling apart, and her name. Aofie should be enjoying her school trip; after all, she spearheaded the decision to choose this museum for their school's one-day cultural impact trip. But she cannot her entire world is falling apart. This museum she took refuge in for the last four years has betrayed her. The Jim Jenner Museum's special exhibit, 'The Body', showcases clothing trends over the past centuries. Her rage and the thunderous mood seemed to be mirrored at the location of the JimJenner Museum.

Image Source: The M u s e u m at FIT

03 03

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

She knew people thought fashion was frivolous, but staging a protest outside a place that celebrates and showcases art seemed counterproductive to Aofie. Her school evades the dozens of people who keep chanting, "Reverse the decision, cancel Island 42." They had giant banners on how the countries had failed the 2030 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and how the 2045 Environmental Impact Report stated irreversible damage to the Earth. They kept chanting like all of them belonged in the same cult, calling for the UN to reverse their decision for Island 42. The UN bravely recognized that since Island 42 had become inhabitable, they decided to make it into one of the dumping grounds for used clothes and recycling plastic grounds. However, the unsatisfied protesters seemed to only focus on the negative things. How evil the Fashion Industry is, how it exploits labor from third world countries and widens income inequality. After a point, Aofie stopped paying attention. She didn't care; there were more pressing matters in her life that needed her attention. But, it was like Aofie was in a whole different world inside the museum; she was surrounded by pieces of art that shaped centuries' aesthetics, visuals, and lifestyles. The Body perfectly articulates how clothes define eras, capture their essence and highlight their fluidity. The Body portrayed a genuine appreciation of how deeply creatively challenging it is to design clothes that mold models' bodies and make clothes that fit beautifully. Aofie was impressed with how they also managed to include the new total of eight seasons of fashion showcases as opposed to the past four. The Body has become the perfect platform for predicting fashion trends as it is a library on the history of fashion. But the thing is, Aofie knew all of this. She has been studying this for YEARS. She knows everything about trends that there is to know. Why do you think she bought the corset years ahead? Her mom thought it was weird that a 10-year-old needed a corset, but she didn't know that Aofie's other friends and classmates were getting cosmetic surgeries to keep up with the trends because they could afford to. During the summer of 2047, because of Georgina's stunning pictorial with Sports Daily, Dr.Kim, the famous plastic surgeon, saw a 400% increase in profits because of the femur reduction surgery; everyone ended up having shorter legs like Georgina. Aofie had cried all week because she couldn't get the surgery. She knew then that Aofie only had her knowledge to help her become the prettiest girl in class. That year, Aofie was the most popular girl in school, all because of her black sequined corset. The corset gave her a narrow waist and prominent hips that made her feel confident, and she did not mind any compliment that came her way. But now, Aofie had to throw it away because the worst thing that could happen in fashion did occur with the corset; after 4 months, it wasn't trendy anymore. The corset has had its resurgences over the past few years, they used to be around for her academic year, but Aofie was fuming that her corset only got to live out of her closet for a few months. If Aofie thinks about it, she has thrown away more things she has bought. The corset, the 3 pairs of joggers she bought the last term because suddenly everyone wanted to choose "comfort over fashion," the elbow patches a couple of weeks ago, the no earlobe tape, septum elongating illusion fillers, eyebrow tape, all her hip accessories. Even Luxe, the most prominent fashion magazine in the world, could not come up with any explanation to make sense of this phenomenon. Except, Aofie could; she knew why. The world needed another fashion icon, another diva, and that would be Aofie. At least Aofie thought it could be her.

04

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

This is why she spent her entire childhood eating well, doing squats every night for a well-defined backside, and doing everything she could to convince her parents to pay for her shoulder lengthening and hip-increasing surgeries for her 13th birthday; all that effort went down the drain.

Aofie had memorized this pattern over and over again; she went back through all her calculations and could not figure out where she had gone wrong.

Because, all of a sudden, being skinny and lean was in fashion. Aofie was fuming. This wasn't supposed to happen. Aofie knew fashion; she knew fashion drew inspiration from history. And there's one thing about history, it always repeats itself. From corsets to girdles, like in the 1880s, women would present and highlight all their femininity and curves to seem as seductive as possible.

Everyone was trying to compete with the AI women, completely forgetting that trends go out of style. Hence Aofie hatched her plan that she would do anything that would make her the prettiest girl in the world.

Image Source: redbubble.com

Image Source: dmagazine.com

Image Source: Instagram

Image Source: victoriassecret.com

Then to the ultra-thin waify-like physique, prominent in the 1920s, 80s, 2010s, 2030s, 2041, and 46, which would bring about a new epidemic of eating disorders. And finally, back to the curvaceous and voluptuous body types like those painted in Greek Mythology, the Renaissance era, the 1950s, and 2000s, which would progress into 'Twiggy' like thinness that would be brought about by diet and exercise like in the 1990s, 2020s, 2040s. Image Source: vogue.in

In elementary school, she was famous and adored by everyone. It soon changed in middle and high school when everyone started starving themselves to achieve the ideal body type, to achieve beauty.

Image Source: hollywoodlife.com

Image Source: getty images

Image Source: tumblr.com

Image Source: getty images

05

She knew the curves would be back when she graduated high school, so she did her best to keep up with all the trends. She did not go outside since tans were out of trend again. Aofie had even participated in the no eyelashes trend in 2037 because it was supposed to make her face look like a baby; truth to behold, Aofie did not like that it took 3 months for the no eyelashes look to be called ridiculous again.

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece Image Source: fashionasart.com

Image Source: eonline.com

Image Source: fashionasart.com

That is why Aofie hates her name; it's supposed to mean "beautiful," but Aofie isn't beautiful anymore.

Image Source: www.mirror.co.uk

Image Source: hollywoodlife.com

Image Source: Instagram

References Cuff, C. B. (2017). My body shape may be in fashion just now, but for how long? The Guardian. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/global/2017/jul/30/mybody-shape-is-in-vogue-but-for-how-long-charlie-brinkhustcuff Hart, M. (2015, January 15). See how much the "perfect" female body has changed in 100 years (it's crazy!). Greatist. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://greatist.com/grow/100-yearswomens-body-image

And for a while, her plan seemed to be working. In the last year of high school, she slowly saw the resurgence of curves. Aofie's mom's squat studio seemed to be taking off, and Aofie had been asked out on 14 dates. But none of that worked. All the casting directors she met through auditions told her she wasn't what they were looking for. They wanted someone taller, slimmer, leaner, someone real ever since all the AI women, AI filters to make you look like a robot, have become unprofitable. They wanted someone unpredictable. Aofie should have known, in fashion, one day you're in, one day you're out.

Howard, J. (2018, March 9). The history of the 'ideal' woman and where that has left us. CNN. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/07/health/body-imagehistory-of-beauty-explainer-intl/index.html Petty, A. (2021, February 11). How women's 'perfect' body types changed throughout history - the list. TheList.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.thelist.com/44261/womensperfect-body-types-changed-throughout-history/ Benda, J. (2020, September 24). Turning women's bodies into trends is out of style isn't trendy . Daily Titan. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://dailytitan.com/opinion/turning-womensbodies-into-trends-is-out-of-style/article_6bc8b932-fe22-11eab90e-87e7d0601a49.html

Maybe that is why Aofie is backpedaling on everything she believes in and ordering the skincare products that were prominent last in 2030. Aofie had nothing to her if she wasn't beautiful.

06

Toomey, P. (2021, May 10). Opinion: Female bodies are not trends. The Daily Wildcat. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2021/05/o-ideal-body Frey, A. (2020, September 16). How fashion has constricted women's bodies over 250 years. Hyperallergic. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://hyperallergic.com/421791/howfashion-has-constricted-womens-bodies-over-250-years/

Pehchaan

FASHION THROUGH BINOCULAR LENS

The Centerpiece

By Rucha Patel & Kanishka Bhootra II Year, BA (Hons), II Year, BA (Hons). Designed by Nirja Sukhadia

Image Source: @noinadesign, Instagram

Is fashion a representation of one’s personal identity or an embodiment of one’s society? The opinions on fashion as a lifestyle choice are overflowing with each second. This piece tries looking at fashion through contrary perspectives of self-expression and societal construct, trying to unpack where it stands in this spectrum. 08

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Fashion: Medium of Self-Expression In 2022, we have created a world that, safe to say, provides an accommodative atmosphere for inclusion and diversity, welcoming people’s varied expressions of themselves. While people are well aware that judgments and sneers at something as volatile as fashion are inevitable, but how often does it hinder on their channelizing of the inner self through fashion?

Image Source: @noinadesign, Instagram

Ever since childhood, our society has conditioned us to ’fit in’ no matter what by looking and dressing a certain way. Contrary to what society might believe, fashion has been and must always be a medium of self-expression, a way to embrace and celebrate one’s identity. The liberating feeling that accompanies putting on clothes and accessories that speak to us is not a novel concept, though its emphasis is always prone to be fizzled.

Pehchaan

“Fashion is not about utility. An accessory is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity.” The Devil Wears Prada (2006 film) While society brings its set of roadblocks, the current times have also facilitated an increased acceptance of people’s diverse aesthetics and, simultaneously, of their identities. Especially for people who find it to talk about their gender identity out in public openly, fashion provides an excellent outlet for gender expression, so now one can find expression through something as simple yet bold as their fashion. There is a significant increase in recognition of the personalization involved in how people choose to represent themselves. Give the same shirt to ten people, who might style it differently, each making their own statement in people's eyes. This has also enhanced the space provided to everyone to experiment with their style, regardless of any factors. Being a youngster in an urban setting, it is difficult to escape constant comparison with the ‘ideal’ in terms of fashion. Inevitably, everyone is pushed into the rat race of wanting to follow the latest fashion trends. Amidst these hefty efforts of everyone trying to bring their A-game, people fail to look back and notice that there can exist no such competition or comparison in what is supposed to be your reflection, your personal identity. Even tragic, people tend to disregard their comfort and body types to keep up with these hollow societal standards. In such situations, it becomes challenging to see fashion as an expression of identity and personality, but more so as a victim of society. Dressing to impress is not just an outdated concept but also an instrument that makes people restrain their self-confidence. It is a common sight of people to feel more confident on the days they put on an outfit that ‘feels like them and not something they ‘had to’ wear because of the environment. Adding to one’s self-confidence, using fashion as a medium of self-expression also contributes to being comfortable in their skin and subsequently helps nurture the ideas of body positivity. Thus, the real fashion icons are the ones who have found their fashion perfect, portraying who they really are, free from the societal impressions of styling. 10

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Is Fashion A Social Construct

In the conundrum of fashion, if society takes a backseat with self-expression in the front seat, why do we see an evident difference in our style in a party setting from that in a college setting? This difference is enough to prove that one cannot escape the shackles of ‘societal norms’ while choosing how to dress.

Fashion is a subjective affair in an individual’s life, but it is highly interjected by the environment surrounding you. Everything we wear comes from a narrow construct of what people consider ‘fashion,’ also constantly restructured with each passing day. As social creatures, humans keep adjusting how they carry themselves according to their perceived acceptability in their social settings. The idea of dress codes, including that of formal and informal dressing is the most potent example of this. Although a personal sphere of identity, fashion is still within the larger societal construct, making it highly susceptible to reshaping by ‘trends.’ We see this specifically concerning ‘fashion influencers,’ who, on the one hand, promote self-expression through fashion on social media and, on the other hand, are products of the consumer market, which is itself an outcome of the social trend. Although personalized, the popular notions of aesthetics and fashion are influenced by popular culture. Reflect on how words like ‘pretty’ or ‘gorgeous,’ used to describe someone’s physical appearance or fashion sense, come to be defined. We have seen movies glorifying the main lead’s ‘fashion makeover’ concept, where adherence to trends suddenly makes the character likable to the audience. On the flip side, phrases like ‘passe’ or ‘outdated’ are clearly used as symbols to indicate a poor fashion choice. In this sense, fashion tends to create a divide because people’s idea of fashion alters the labels they attach to someone’s dress, making it an easy heuristic for judging people.

11

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Additionally, the idea of what to wear is always dependent on the place, occasion, and the people one will interact with. If this isn’t enough, one’s economic and social status also becomes a barrier to what one can wear. For instance, when deciding on a family function, we cannot deny that we might ‘have to’ immediately rule out certain pieces of clothing. Similarly, significant notions of what is fashionable today are deemed to be centered around or derived from high-end brands. For people to tell you that you ‘look like a million bucks,' you actually spend that kind of money in the name of high-end fashion, something not everybody can afford to do. Altogether this adds to the ambiguities in the personal sphere claimed around fashion. Even though the boundaries constricting it are blurry, with all the power it gives us, fashion is a byproduct of society and an individual's identity, which, in itself, is a curation by society.

“You think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when in fact, you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room… from a pile of 'stuff'.” The Devil wears Prada (2006 film)

Image Source: @noinadesign, Instagram

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

By Akhil Mundaplackal

Indiannes Designed by Aarohi Desai

Image Source: Sabyasachi

Keeping up with

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Arced windows appear on the screen; an exquisitely crafted metal frame covers

them. The windows are withheld by a parapet, supported with artisticallycrafted pillars. The building looks old, ancient and royal. Nature has adorned

the building with moss, dirt and grime, only adding to its beauty by several

folds. The scene invokes a familiar ache of an illustrious past lost to the ravages of space and time. Suddenly, a woman with her head covered in a red dupatta

takes the stage. Her face is covered with exquisitely-crafted jewellery. Her attire

– a skilfully woven red lehenga with a long-sleeved blouse -- is a referent of

her high stature. Several other women with similar dresses and bodies join her on the stage. They stand stoically and expressionless, allowing the viewer to

bask in their projected royalty. Men have joined them in their effort to complement the women. They are wearing beige-coloured sherwanis accompanied by a Safa (a type of turban). The men and women stand in similar poses, akin to princes and princesses, as if to suggest their royal heritage. The stage is set in a palace-like structure, its walls painted with repeating

patterns. It seems that dirt and squalor, often associated with the notion of

India, have been intentionally weaned out. Perhaps, every element of the video

tries to impress upon the viewer’s mind the splendor and luxury of Indian royalty, disguised as Indianness and its lack thereof. I am referring to

Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s video advertising its iconic red lehengas and jewelry, published by his brand’s official YouTube handle (Mukherjee, 2020).

Fashion, like all other consumer products, relies to a great extent on advertising. As mentioned above, the Sabyasachi advertisement is an example of the fashion designer’s direction to evoke nostalgia and a false sense of belonging to sell their product. Customers are swayed by the ‘ethnicity’ and ‘Indianness’ projected by the designer’s clothes. It seems to be the case that for those who can afford ethnic designer clothing, the garment not only shields their bodies but also allows them to believe that they are a part of a collective Indian identity. This is ironic considering that such a feeling may seldom be shared by the majority of India who cannot afford the dress.

14

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

This disparity in the shared notion of Indianness as a result of wearing particular ethnic clothing was highlighted by social anthropologist and author Tereza Kuldova in her book – “Luxury Indian Fashion: A Social Critique” (Kuldova, 2016). She argues that a sense of guilt and alienation caused by a transnational lifestyle afflicts the elite. Owning a Gucci bag, shopping at H&M and dining at a Starbucks doesn’t precisely sound ‘Indian’. To compensate, the elite project themselves as guardians of Indian culture by indulging in expensive and exclusive Indian luxury garments. A zardozi (gold embroidered silk) saree or a chikankari (traditional embroidery style) kurta is an out-and-bold statement of national pride. Tereza invokes the theory of ‘Interpassivity’, given by Robert Pfaller, a philosopher, to claim that an object imbued with a national identity, such as a Kanchipuram, makes up for the lack of one in the person wearing the dress. This explains how advertising products as ‘ethnic’ or ‘Indian’ allows fashion designers to play with the sentiments of the viewer. In most cases, helping the designers sell their expensive products. Indianness’ is sold to the elite as a garment and as an instrument to redeem themselves of the guilt of being privileged. With over 66% of all handloom weavers in India earning less than 5000 rupees a month (Bhowmik, 2019), designers get several opportunities to use poverty as a marketing tool. Sabyasachi’s collaboration with Starbucks to sell limited edition cups and mugs to promote girl education in rural areas (SabyasachiOfficial, 2022) and Ritu Kumar’s ‘Beautiful Hands’ video series (Label Ritu Kumar, 2016) are a few examples. It is even more problematic when fashion designers such as Sabyasachi, in an effort to conserve cultural heritage, take it as their personal responsibility to convince artisans not to give up their trade. It seems as if selling Indian luxury wear necessitates a need for poverty. In most cases, High-end Indian fashion designers associate with NGOs, in some cases, establish one themselves, to sell their products as ethical. While the impact of such NGOs on the people it employs is questionable, their benefits for the fashion designer are quite clear. Establishing an NGO serves several purposes for a luxury fashion brand. It is economically beneficial since NGOs are awarded several tax exemptions and act as state-endorsed machinery to formalise the procurement of informal labour. Kuldova (2016) identifies three crucial functions served by a fashion NGO. First, to reproduce ‘skilled’ knowledge but not truly empower the worker, rather constricting them to a particular profession, in most cases – processes related to cloth production such as – weaving, dying, tying etc. Second is the procurement of labour, especially from ‘weaker’ sections of society, for the production of capital. Mukherjee, S. [SabyasachiOfficial]. (2020, July 15). The classic Sabyasachi red bridal lehengas and heritage menswear [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=LWACHZsKbzg Bhowmik, M. (2019). Fourth Handloom Census: Government's Claims Belie Ground Reality. Retrieved 20 August 2022, from https://www.epw.in/engage/article/fourthhandloom-census-government-claims-belie-ground-reality Kuldova, T. (2016). Luxury Indian fashion. Bloomsbury. The People’s Archive of Rural India. (2019, August 7). Fourth All India Handloom Census 2019–2020. People’s Archive of Rural India. Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/fourth-all-india-handloom-census-2019 2020/#:%7E:text=The%20handloom%20sector%20engages%20around,lakh%20allied%20workers%20are%20female.

15

Pehchaan

Fashion and Arts

Of nearly 27 lakh weavers employed by the industry, 19 lakh are women. Such disparities can also be observed when discussing class representation, where only 31 per cent are from general castes (The People’s Archive of Rural India, 2019). Third, NGOs attempt to formalise the process of accumulating informal labour. Not in the least, ‘formalising’ the labour itself. This way, luxury fashion designers create machinery to promote their high-end fashion wear inspired by indigenous crafts. As the women wearing lehengas and men in sherwanis fade in the background, a soulful text appears on the screen. It reads,

“The Indian wedding industry creates millions of jobs at the grassroots level. It is estimated to be worth over 50 billion dollars.

Therefore, it is time to bring back heritage Indian weddings.” How thoughtful of Sabyasachi to not only revive the culture of my ancestors but also to create jobs in the process, that too worth over 50 billion dollars! The text then proceeds to invoke all possible Indian wedding accoutrements.

“Bring back the shehnaiwalas. Bring back the halwaiis.

Bring back the chapawalas. Bring back the safawalas.

Bring back Chandan, tika, champa, chameli" The text continues,

“Bring back all the indigenous produce and local craftsmanship that make the great Indian wedding.

Celebrate and preserve our extraordinary uniqueness.” On closer inspection, it becomes clear that such marketing tools are targeted at a certain clientele, allowing the designer to charge exorbitant prices and perpetuating a false image of themselves as upholders of Indian tradition and culture.

Kuldova, T. (2017). Designing Interpassive Indianness for India’s Rich: The Work of Aesthetics in Intimate Encounters with a Nation at a Distance. Department of Archaeology, University of Oslo. Retrieved 20 August 2022, from https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/60792/Interpassive_Indianness_Kuldova_final%2Bpreprint.pdf?sequence=4 SabyasachiOfficial, 2022. Presenting the Sabyasachi + Starbucks limited edition collection.. [video] Available at: [Accessed 8 October 2022]. Label Ritu Kumar, 2014. Beautiful Hands - A Ritu Kumar Initiative (Weaving). [video] Available at: [Accessed 8 October 2022].

02

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Artwork by Srutisri Sundaram, III Year, Integrated MS 17

Pehchaan

The Centerpieces

CASTE IN STONE

By Stuti Iyer

Designed by Aarohi Desai

In 2018, in Madhya Pradesh, 3 Gujjar community men scalped a Bahujan party worker, Mr. Sardar Singh Jatav’s head with a razor because he wore a turban. To them, wearing a turban meant disrespect towards the upper castes of the area; one of the Gujjar men reportedly said, “We’re going to take away your crown’’ (Gettleman & Raj, 2018). This way, a piece of clothing that helps protect one's head from the sun and dust became a marker of caste. In India, there have been instances where sometimes the clothing of a person has been seen as a sign of disrespect towards the upper caste. In the 1800s, upper-caste Nair women from Travancore (currently situated in the state of Kerala) would bare their upper bodies only when they were in front of temple priests (Brahmins) because they were thought to be equivalent to God. However, lower-caste women from the Nadar and Ezhava castes could not cover their upper bodies anytime they were in the presence of upper-caste people, as a sign of respect. If they covered their torsos, they had to pay something known as a “breast tax.” Unable to bear this oppression, Nadar community women decided to voice their disagreement- they should have the right to dress up the way they want, and they began converting to Christianity. However, upper-caste men were still publicly stripping women of their clothes and even burning their houses. In 1859, the King of Travancore announced that Nadar women couldn't dress the same way as Savarna (upper caste) women did but could cover their breasts the way Syrian Christians did (Ameerudheen, 2019). In a village in Travancore, there was a woman named Nangeli belonging to the Ezhava community.

18

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

When the tax collectors came to collect Mulakkaram (breast tax) from her, enraged about it she cut off her breasts and bled to death. This sparked multiple protests across the community (Mehrotra, 2022). Though it has been more than a century since Nangeli cut off her breast as a sign of resistance against the breast tax, clothing remains a key marker of caste in India. In an event as recent as 2018, a thirteen-year-old boy from an Ahmedabad district was beaten up, and his video was posted online. He belonged to the Valmiki community from Vithalpur village (Indian Express, 2018). The Valmiki community is considered one of the lowest castes in the caste hierarchy in India; they work as sanitation workers(TNN / Oct 2). One day, he wore a gold chain and a Rajwadi Mojari(this is a handmade shoe, traditionally made of tanned leather and is worn in northern India); that's when a group of boys from the Darbaar community (upper caste) beat him up and asked him to state that he can never be a Rajput by wearing a Mojari. This way, mojari footwear became a sign of caste in India. This isn’t an isolated incident. In 2015, a Dalit man in Tamil Nadu was attacked for folding his lungi as he walked by an upper-caste street(Masoodi, 2017). In February 2022, a Dalit man's wedding procession was attacked because the guests were wearing sefas (traditional turbans), which is something traditionally worn by upper-caste men (The Wire, 2022). For every incident that is reported, there go countless unreported. M.N.Srinivas came up with the term Sanskritization, which talks about how castes that are lower in the hierarchy tend to imitate the rituals and practices of the dominant castes so that they can achieve upward mobility. Dr. Ambedkar wore a blue blazer, a red tie, and a white shirt as a symbol of political resistance. This came at a time when politicians in India would wear the traditional khadi in order to promote nationalism during the independence fight. By choosing to dress this way, Dr. Ambedkar was able to break away from the image that society had created about the way a Dalit man could dress. This was at a time when Dalits weren’t going to schools and getting an education; instead, they were shunned and assigned tasks no one else did, like manual scavenging. He strongly believed that dressing well and getting the right education would help Dalits achieve social mobility. By dressing this way, he could show that Dalits can claim agency over what they should wear and shouldn’t (Masoodi, 2017). Taking this idea forward, Chandra Bhan Prasad, a journalist and human rights activist, launched a clothing label for Dalits called ‘Zero Plus’ so that he could give Dalits like him the opportunity to wear good quality clothes. In an interview with the Scroll, he said, “This is high-quality formal clothing that I want Dalits to adopt. The acceptance level of Dalits will go up once they dress better.” (Kumar, 2017). “From and for courageous people who defy conventions,” is what Chamar Studio’s website reads (Chamar Studio). In an era where fashion continues to be a sign of oppression against Dalits, Sudheer Rajbhar founded “chamar studios’, a designer brand, with a simple idea: giving credit to the chamar community workers and changing how a word that is used as an ethnic slur is perceived. Today they make tote bags and leather handbags that have the word “Chamar” written on them for the world to see, as models wear them with pride. People like Sudheer Rajbhar and Chandra Bhan Prasad are using fashion and clothing to break free from years of oppression, Bahujan Store and Bahujan Unnati Store are selling mugs with Ambedkar drawn on it, and t-shirts are being sold where ‘Kiss me. I’m Dalit’ is printed (Das, 2018).

01

Pehchaan

Fashion and Arts

A quest of caste equality through self-sovereignty and liberations, with arts, design, contemporary arts as tools.” -Chamar Studio (Chamar Studio) References

Ameerudheen, T. A. (2019, March 22). Ncert decision to remove chapter on caste struggle in Kerala from history textbook draws criticism. Scroll.in. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://scroll.in/article/917353/ncert-decision-to-remove-chapter-on-caste-struggle-inkerala-from-history-textbook-draws-criticism Gettleman, J., & Raj, S. (2018, November 17). 'tell everyone we scalped you!' how caste still rules in India. The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/17/world/asia/tell-everyone-we-scalped -you-how-caste-still-rules-in-india.html

Mehrotra, D. P. (2022, March 8). Nangeli - the forgotten dalit woman who stood up against Travancore's 'breast tax'. ThePrint. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/nangeli-the-forgotten-dalit-woman-who-stoodup-against-travancores-breast-tax/862452/ TNN / Oct 2, 2020. (n.d.). Sanitation workers rise in protest, block roads, refuse to work: Agra News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/sanitation-workers-rise-in-protest-block-roadsrefuse-to-work/articleshow/78434907.cms Masoodi, A. (2017, April 21). The changing fabric of Dalit Life. mint. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/avsrwntNuBHG3THdAb5aMP/The-changingfabric-of-Dalit-life.html Kumar, S. (2017, June 28). Did ambedkar want dalits to wear three-piece suits? A clothing label raises some sartorial questions. Scroll.in. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://scroll.in/magazine/840199/did-ambedkar-want-dalits-to-wear-three-piece-suits-aclothing-label-raises-some-sartorial-questions Chamar Studio. (n.d.). CHAMAR OFFICIAL ONLINE SHOP - Chamar. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://chamar.in/ Das, Y. (2018, September 13). When 'Dalit' is a brand, 'Chamar' a fashion label | India News. Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/when-dalit-is-a-brand-chamar-afashion-label/articleshow/65790706.cms

20

Image Source: Chamar Studios, Instagram

Gujarat: Dalit boy beaten up for showing 'Darbar-like etiquette' in Becharaji Town. The Indian Express. (2018, June 15). Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-dalit-boy-beaten-up-for-showing-darbarlike-etiquette-in-becharaji-town/

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

The Gallery of Contemporary Anti-Caste Resistance

Image Sources: scroll.in, instagram, feminisminindia.com

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

“Art is the most influential way to get into the mind of a person.” Arivu, the lyricist and rapper of the Casteless Collective

By Aditi Mohta & Ramisha Dommety Designed by Bhavya Patodi

For centuries, art has been used as a tool to challenge the status quo. It is used to challenge hegemonic narratives about the existing social, cultural and political structures. Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a Dalit feminist transmedia artist, believes “that violence is meant to destroy meaning and break down how people understand themselves … So when you start to use art to create in this context, you are rebuilding the bridge of meaning” (Holpuch, 2015). For as long as history goes, the voices of marginalised communities have not been recorded or documented since those in power take charge of the process. Art, then, becomes a medium for marginalised communities to learn about their own roots, filling the gaps that have not been documented and written about enough for generations. Art spans across literature, visual arts, performing art and architecture. For the purpose of this piece, we have chosen to focus on visual and performing art as forms of resistance. Here, we try to look at a few contemporary anti-caste artists and how they use their medium of art to challenge the existing hierarchies of caste and gender. Although this is not an exhaustive list by any means, we wish to open a gateway to discussions surrounding the importance of art in such movements.

22

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

The Chhara community from Gujarat, one of the many Denotified Tribes in India, choose to defy the prevailing stigma around their community of being thieves and selling liquor through theatre. Named after Budhan Sabar, who was killed in police custody in 1998 due to the stigma attached to the community, Budhan Theatre Group illustrates their sociopolitical struggles, for instance, the police brutality they face due to their community identity, while simultaneously presenting a strategic fight against the socio-political injustices.

Budhan Theatre @budhantheatre

Image Source: scroll.in

The theatre group uses documentaries, short films, plays and songs as ways to express the discrimination that they have been facing all their lives. In their most recent production, Budhan Theatre came out with a song titled “Chara Rap Song” (Bajrange, 2022). The people of Charanagar, through this song, showed the normal and routine lives that they live, contrasted to the stigmatised image of criminals that they have; while at the same time having multiple encounters with the ever-suspicious police. More importantly, they talked about their lives during COVID-19 and how they received no support or help from authorities. They have also established a library in Charanagar with texts in Gujarati, Hindi and English. Texts in this library also revolve around theater, organizing activities around theater for the children of their community. The messages in their play mobilize people to challenge societal narratives and hierarchies.

23

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

The Casteless Collective @casteless_collective_

Image Source: feminisminindia.com

The Casteless Collective, as the name suggests, strives towards a more equal society by annihilating caste. They are an Ambedkarite Musical Collective that creates music in the gaana genre -- with people from different marginalized communities coming together to show non-dominant counter-culture through music. Their songs act as a form of resistance against oppression due to the caste system and its various facets. They explore themes of reservations, problematise vegetarianism, oppression of women and manual scavenging. For this Collective, music is a way of not only uniting people and sharing experiences but also a way of spreading the philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to a younger generation. Pa Ranjith, the founder of TCC, asserted the importance of creating a counterculture - “There is a notion that Dalits are devoid of any cultural identity, but the reality is contrary. Music and art are omnipresent in their lives. It is not something that they acquire, but it is inbred.” (Senthalir, 2020) References Latagajanan, N. (2019, August 1). How an ancient A large part of creating resistance art is also reclaiming art form became a symbol of resistance. The Caravan. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from power. Their musical art form gaana originates from https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/ancient-art-formbecame-symbol-resistance ghettos of Nothern Chennai -- an area that is populated Senthalir, S. (2020, May 1). An anti-caste by the Dalit community, the working class community, collective challenges oppression through music. The Caravan. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from fisherfolk and other ordinary people (Susmit, 2022). The https://caravanmagazine.in/arts/anti-castemusicians of the gaana art form sing along to the beats of collective-challenges-oppression-through-music Parai and Satti Kattemolom. These instruments are Susmit. (2022, April 28). Anti caste hip-hop isn't just about music, it's about representation too. attached to funerals and other unfortunate events. Many Youth Ki Awaaz. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from Dalit communities abandoned them during the Selfhttps://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2022/04/anticaste-hip-hop-caste-culture-music-representation Respect Movement by Periyar. However, contemporary artists from Dalit communities have used the instruments in their songs to explore caste-based atrocities and oppression. Gautham and Sarath, two musicians under the Collective, now play their instruments in their concerts for hundreds of people. (Latagajanan, 2019)

24

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Rajyashri Goody, a visual anthropologist, has rooted her art in Ambedkarite forms of resistance and learning. In her exhibition titled “Power & Pulp” (2017- ongoing), she shred copies of the Manusmriti and makes them into a pulp. The pulp is then turned into plain pieces, with only a few words visible from the original text. By doing this, Goody “subverts the power of Manusmriti and opens up the possibilities of handing over its power to someone else” (Goody, 2017).

Rajyashri Goody Art Work: MANU

She also uses this pulp to make art pieces that show the discriminatory practices that lower-caste people face on a daily basis. For example, one of her pieces is called “Lal Bhaaji” -- although this literally translates to “Red Vegetable”, it is a code word for beef amongst Dalit communities in Maharastra. The shame that comes with eating and enjoying beef has led a lot of people to convert to vegetarianism and hence eating beef, and the code itself is nothing more than memories for many communities. Using Manusmriti as a pulp to make Lal Bhaaji, then “is an attempt to conjure new memories associated with the act of eating beef; those not of shame, but of bravery, not of helplessness, but of resistance in the face of Manu’s laws and the wretched caste system” (Goody, 2017).

Art Work: Is the water chavdar?

25

Pehchaan

Image Source: rajyashrigoody.com

The Centerpiece Goody’s art helps fill in the gaps in history that have deliberately been left out. In 1927, Babasaheb Ambedkar led a march of around 10,000 people to the Chavdar Tank in Mahad in Maharashtra and drank water from the tank. The Mahad Satyagraha is arguably one of the most important events in Dalit history, and it was a protest against the exclusion of Dalit people from public places. The effects of the protest are still seen throughout the country today. However, this event was not photographed by any local or national media. The place has become a pilgrimage for a lot of people from lower caste communities, where people go and take photographs to commemorate and celebrate the political struggle of the ten thousand people.

@rajgoody

Art Work: Lal Bhaji

In her exhibition titled “Is the water Chavdar (tasty)?”, Goody pays tribute to the 10,000 people who travelled for days through hostile and dangerous areas to reach Chavdar. Bringing together various forms of visual art, including printmaking and ceramics and literature like poetry, Goody fills in the gap in history through the lens of the subaltern public.

26

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

27

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece Malvika Raj is an artist from Patna who primarily makes Madhubani art. Madhubani art that originated in Bihar usually tells stories from Hindu mythology, like stories of RadhaKrishna. Although Madhubani art promised to transcend hierarchies of gender and caste, it was initially only women from dominant castes who were in the national and international spotlight (Alagarsamy, 2021).

In the 1970s, Jamuna Devi, an artist from the Chamar community, gained international fame for painting Madhubani art on a mud wall of cow dung. This enhanced the colours of the painting. She used paintings to express her life story. Following that, artist couple Rodi Paswan and Chano Devi experimented with Madhubani art and pushed the boundaries of what people from the Dalit community could paint. Dulari Devi, from the Machwara (fisherfolk) community, has also been an important figure in the Madhubani paintings (Sarmaya, 2020).

Image Source: feminisminindia.com

@malvikarajart

Malvika Raj

References Alagarsamy, H. (2021, September 28). In conversation with Malvika Raj: Dalit madhubani artist. Feminism in India. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://feminisminindia.com/2019/01/2 2/malvika-raj-dalit-madhubani-artist/ Sarmaya (2022, February 7). Drawing strength – how madhubani artists have challenged caste oppression. Sarmaya. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://sarmaya.in/spotlight/drawingstrength-how-madhubani-artists-havechallenged-caste-oppression/ Raj, M. (2020, October 12). Madhubani diary. https://www.outlookindia.com/. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.outlookindia.com/magazi ne/story/madhubani-diary/303786

Art Work: Mai (Mother)

Today, Malvika Raj follows their footsteps as a Buddhist Ambedkarite Dalit woman and uses the art of Madhubani painting to show the life stories of central figures in the anti-caste movement like Dr. Ambedkar and Savirtibai Phule. When Raj went to learn Madhubani from Madhubani village, she encountered extremely casteist notions entrenched in art. Describing her experience in Outlook Magazine, she said, “Once I went to meet an artist who teaches Tantric Art, a stream of Madhubani practised by Brahmins.

28

I asked him if he could teach me. He refused. That art belonged to the dvijas, he said—apparently, some cosmic order would be disrupted if Dalits learnt it! The channels are kept separate” (Raj, 2020). By using Madhubani art to represent the struggles and successes of the Dalit community, Raj subverts the power that lay in the hands of the dominant castes in Madhubani art for a long time.

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Image Source: Instagram

Priyanka Paul is an Ambedkarite illustrator and a poet who reflects themes of social injustice and examines the intersections of society through the lens of caste and gender and how these interactions have taken shape in the past and how the forms they take in the present. She identifies that a lot of online content created does not address caste or only shows instances of extreme violence, only eliciting sympathy rather than empowering communities. Content around caste that she has engaged with, and so have a lot of us, is often created with an upper-caste gaze and fails to emulate the experiences of the Dalit, Adivasi and Bahujan communities.

Priyanka Paul @artwhoring Through her visual art, often full of colour and brimming with details, she aims to voice the experiences of her communities without letting it become a space where upper-caste individuals perform activism. Her provocative and vivid art explores the intersections between caste, gender, sexual orientation, sexuality, and politics, among other things. Menstruation, female masturbation, and religious fundamentalism are a few other topics that she probes through her art.

Last year, Priyanka Paul created an artwork for the Nation Campaign on Dalit Human Rights when the Post-matric Scholarship (PMS) Scheme was threatened to be scrapped. “This scheme is the only centrally sponsored scheme under the SC and ST budget that attempts to bridge the growing socio-economic gap through higher education” (Bhattacharya, 2020), says the article she references under her post. The art reflects the importance of an education scheme for students from SC ST backgrounds. Higher education helps underprivileged students to gain social and economic mobility. The scrapping of such a scheme will lead to the student's reluctant participation in informal labour.

Bhattacharya, D. (2020, December 2). Dalit activists protest against possible scrapping of Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme. NewsClick. Retrieved from https://www.newsclick.in/Dalit-Activists-Protest-Agaisnt-Possible-Scrapping-of-Post-Matric-Scholarship-Scheme

29

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Madhukar Mucharla, a visual artist, uses leather as his primary form of art and expression. As members of the Magida community, Madhukar’s ancestors have traditionally been leather workers or tanners, primarily working with animal hide. He saw and assisted his father with making leather footwear and other leather products as a child in his village Nandiwanaparthy near Hyderabad (Kalra, 2022). “Leather has been typically stigmatised as impure and was associated with untouchability that led to generations of social discrimination against communities that worked with leather products.” said Madhukar (Telangana Today, 2022).

Image Source: hakara.in

Madhukar Mucharla @madhukarmucharla

Although he initially created art using oil on canvas, he was drawn to leather and studied the material, experimented with it and learnt the tonalities. Starting with self-portraits, he went on to create portraits of well-known anti-caste leaders like Jyotiba Phule and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. In one of his works, he tears a drum - which was once used by the Magida community - and stitched it back together. This, he said, is “representative of the silenced voices of the marginalized communities.” Although the drum, the voice of resistance, is suppressed time and again, he believes that one must “mend and continue the struggle to raise voice and achieve social equality” (Mucharla, 2020). Through his art, Madhukar Mucharla has used leather -- something that is a symbol of the impurity of the community -- as a way to show to depict the discrimination and inequality that his community has been facing.

Image Source: instagram 30

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

One of the many mediums used by Dalit artists is been hip-hop, specifically rap, to voice their stories and anger towards the oppressive caste structures embedded in the Indian culture. Mahi Ghane, a hip-hop artist from the Koli tribe from Maharashtra, has written multiple songs on raising awareness, fighting against discrimination and the sustainable use of the resources available to us, something that the tribal communities have always practiced.

Mahi Ghane @mahig_55

Baapmanus, a tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar, is arguably one of her most famous songs where she raps about the contributions he made for the Dalit community. “Despite others making him sit outside the class he never deflected from his path of education and struggled to provide constitutional rights to the Dalits in India,” she raps, giving him the title of Baap Manus. Image Source: YouTube/Baap Manus

References

Holpuch, A. (2015, March 12). Thenmozhi Soundararajan: Fighting the dalit women's fight with art and activism. The Guardian. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/12/thenmozhi-soundararajandalit-women-art-and-activism YouTube. (2022). Chhara Rap song | Budhan Podcast | Season 2. YouTube. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watchv=4_hksHEnUcg&ab_channel=BudhanTheatre. Goody, R. (2017). Rajyashri Goody. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from http://www.rajyashrigoody.com/ Kalra, V. (2022, May 5). 'by working with leather, I'm telling stories of My Community': Artist Madhukar Mucharla. The Indian Express. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/by-working-withleather-im-telling-stories-of-my-community-artist-madhukar-mucharla-india-art-fair-7902811/ Mucharla, M. (2020, October 1). Madhukar Mucharla on Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.instagram.com/p/CFyV3dAlm5C/?hl=en Telangana Today. (2022, September 26). This Hyderabad artist is giving voice to voiceless through leather art. Telangana Today. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://telanganatoday.com/this-hyderabad-artist-is-giving-voice-to-voiceless-throughleather-art Goody, R. (2017). Rajyashri Goody. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from http://www.rajyashrigoody.com/ Sharma, K. (2022, September 27). 'in all my years, No Gallery has represented me': Savindra Sawarkar on Brahmanism in the Arts. Scroll.in. Retrieved from https://scroll.in/magazine/1033348/in-all-my-years-no-gallery-has-represented-me-savindrasawarkar-on-brahmanism-in-the-arts Savi Sawarkar dalit history Month Europe 2018,...: By south asian scholars and activists Solidarity - SASAS: Facebook. - ‫ﻓﻴﺴﺒﻮك‬ ‫ﺗﺴﺠﻴﻞ اﻟﺪﺧﻮل أو اﻻﺷﺘﺮاك‬. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ar-ar.facebook.com/South-Asian-Scholars-and-Activists-SolidaritySASAS-101215908724982/videos/savi-sawarkar-dalit-history-month-europe-2018/1844282252402241/ Dube, S. (2013, August 1). Unsettling art: Caste, gender, and dalit expression. openDemocracy. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/openindia/unsettling-art-caste-gender-and-dalit-expression/ Guram, F., & Jain, R. (2022, May 17). ‘Anti-caste rap’: A hip-hop revolution in the making in IndiaF. 'Anti-caste rap': A hip-hop revolution in the making in India. Retrieved from https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/anti-caste-rap-a-hip-hop-revolutionin-the-making-in-india-57208

31

Two

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Savindra ‘Savi’ Sawarkar focuses on Dalit experiences as an aesthetic mode, possibly the first artist in India who produces contemporary fine art to do so. As a Dalit artist, he uses his own perception and experience, both of which are unique to him and his community, as a resource for his aesthetic journey. His grandparents converted to Buddhism under the guidance of Babasaheb Ambedkar, inspired by the stories that his grandmother would tell him about the works of Ambedkar, Sawarkar calls his work "Ambedkarite Aesthetic". His artistic journey has also been inspired by Buddhist sculptures and songs; Neo-Buddhist and Ambedkarite aesthetics come together to portray caste discrimination and ostracization faced by his community due to the Hindu social order. He considers it extremely important to produce art and interact with other Dalit artists’ works to resist against the existing Brahmanical mainstream contemporary fine art sphere.

o Untouchables under the black sun.

Savindra Sawarkar In his series “Untouchability during the Peshwa times in Pune”, he reveals arguably the worst period for the Dalit community, subject to humiliation and violence. Dalit individuals would have to walk with a earthen pot around their neck and a broom attached to their back, hold a stick wrapped with ghunghroos. The pot around the neck was for them to spit in so as to not ‘contaminate’ the earth, the broom ensured that they didn’t leave their footprints and the ghungroos would signal the presence of Dalit people. All of this is also written in the Manusmriti.

Image Source: scroll.in

Untouchable Couple With Ohm and Swastica.

Untouchable, peshwa in pune.

32

Devadasi I.

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

In Conversation with Nandini Chirimar By Aarya Shah & Nirja Sukhadia Designed by Ramisha Dommety

Title: Blueprint of My Mind Etching, pencil, pen and chine colle on Yuku Shi paper, mounted on Tiepolo (15 x 11”), 2018

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

"Art has so many different interpretations, and every single time, people take something from it with them to think and reflect upon."

W

e have the pleasure of interviewing Nandini Chirimar, a renowned artist. Her primary work areas are drawing, printmaking, Japanese woodblock printing, mixed media, and object based work. She grew up in Jaipur, India, and then moved to Delhi to start her BFA in Fine arts. She later transferred to Cornell University, NY to complete her BFA. She pursued her MFA in Baltimore at the Maryland Institute, College of Art. Nandini briefly lived in Japan where she studied Japanese Woodblock printing. She currently works in New York City, where she has lived for the past 20+ years with her husband and two daughters. Nandini works with different galleries across the world, like Espace Gallery in Delhi, Ganges Art in Kolkata, and Twelve Gates Arts in Philadelphia.

-Nandini Chirimar

Image Source: artspiel.org

In your website, you have mentioned that you use a lot of autobiographical elements to touch upon larger phenomena, including globalization, tradition, identities, memories, grief, that and our current busy lives, right. I'm quoting you. So is there a particular incident or a piece that you have that you can use to elaborate upon this perspective? A few years ago I made a series called ‘Unwritten Wills’. My father passed away in 2015, and earlier that year my Granny passed away too. So when I went back to India, my mom gave me her stuff which was placed in these two trunks. I started looking at it and thinking, “What do people really leave us? What is their unwritten will?” People usually have this legal document saying what is your legacy. So that is all written down formally, but I started thinking what is it that you really get from them? I feel like from my father, I got a philosophy, a way of living, his guidance, his teachings. And from my nanny, I have insight into her thoughts and life, like for a person who did not have access to education what are the thoughts they must have? So I started looking at objects that they left behind as their 'unwritten will', through those we learn about their life, their thoughts, and in the process get to know ourselves better.

Title: Lines of Emotion Pencil on Kaji Natural paper, mounted on Rives (24x24"), 2021

Pehchaan

The Centerpieces

Could you tell us about the different techniques you use? What is chine colle and Japanese woodblock printing? Are there any other methods you plan to explore ? Working on paper, including detailed drawing and printmaking forms a large part of my practice. I love working with pencil and paper… I feel like they are the most basic materials, and I enjoy seeing what I can do with them and how far I can push the materials. I started working with many types of pencils because each pencil creates a different line, and I also like to use various types of pens, brushes and watercolors. I recently learned miniature painting so started using very thin brushes in addition to thick ones,. I don't use oils or acrylics because I like the transparency that the watercolor provides. I also do several forms of printmaking including etching, aquatint, collagraph, woodcut and chine collé. In etching, you take a metal plate and then etch inside it, meaning you make a recessed line inside it, then apply ink to it, and wipe it off. When you wipe it off the ink goes into the recessed lines. Then you put the inked plate and paper through a heavy roller press, which forces the ink out of the plate onto the paper. Japanese woodblock printing is also called Moku Hanga. This is called a relief print while the previous one is etching. Here you have raised areas as compared to the recessed areas in etching and you use a slightly different technique to print it. You don't use a press or anything, you can just print it by hand. Chine collé is a process where one can layer very thin paper (usually Asian paper) on thicker paper during the printmaking process to provide varied effects. In addition to traditional Chine collé techniques, I have developed my own version of ‘manual’ chine colle, where I use various types of glues to create layered works on paper. I work extensively with Japanese paper, as the translucencies in this paper allow for experimental printing and layering techniques. Other mediums I work with include thread, handmade paper, digital and object based work.

"It's a very public yet vulnerable process.. you make art and put it out there for thousands of people to see. People might like it, or hate it, or even have no reaction.” 35

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Art, especially what you do, must require highly detailed and intricate work. It must be difficult to stop oneself from constantly making small edits. How do you know when the piece is finished? Is it difficult to step away from a painting? Yes, it is not easy to know when a piece is finished. So I use two techniques now to determine this. First is, I put the piece in front of me on a wall and observe it objectively. If something keeps bothering me and I find myself thinking about elements I should add or remove, even if it is a little dot, then it’s not finished. And when I feel there’s nothing I should change, and the work makes me feel calm and balanced, then the piece is finished. The second technique I use is when I have been working one piece for a long time, and I find myself again and again taking a break or getting distracted. That's a cue to me that maybe it's time to take a natural break from this piece, and come back to it later to look at it with fresh eyes and see if it is finished or needs more work. It is certainly difficult to step away from a painting…when I have been working on something for a long time I get totally involved in the work, and it is difficult to tear myself away. That can lead to overworking the piece, so I try to be very careful about it.

This is a creative process. It requires you to constantly produce something new, something unique. How do you deal with creative blocks? How do you come up with new ideas every now and then? I use a few techniques to deal with creative blocks. One is writing. Whenever I have a block, or even when I don’t, I just start by writing. This is a technique I learned from a book called The Artist’s Way, where the author asks us to write three pages in the morning. They don’t have to be about art, just write all your thoughts. And then after writing down everything, I shred it. Because if I don’t shred it then I’ll be occupied thinking what if someone reads that or start making edits to make it safer. If I find myself not writing about art at all, if it's just something about my own life I do that too! I try this for seven days, and then somehow automatically the art starts to happen. Like the block clears away. That's one technique. The second technique I use is even when I don’t feel like doing anything, or I don’t know how to solve a painting, I force myself to work on it even if it is difficult. But soon enough, I find that the work has given me the answer.

What do you think art means to you? I create art because I enjoy it, and that is why I started making art as a child. As I studied it further, I went from doing it just because I enjoyed it to exploring other aspects of it. I realized one of the things I love about making art is that I can express my feelings visually through it. Through art, I can also explore larger phenomenon which interest me, including relationships, the human experience, death, globalization, spaces we live in and our current busy lives. It is my hope that my work will generate thoughts and reflection within myself and in others about our lives, our feelings, our living spaces and our relationships with each other.

36

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

You’ve spent 4 years in Japan. Why did you feel such a a strong gravitation towards Japanese woodblock printing that you entirely relocated yourself? Was it also in search for inspiration? I went to Japan because my husband’s job required us to live in Tokyo for a few years. I was already learning several forms of printmaking, and mixed media work, so I was very curious to learn Japanese woodblock printing while I was there. I started looking for a teacher. I wrote to everybody I could find, to all the universities or schools. I couldn’t find any teacher because they were mostly occupied with five year long courses and I didn’t know the Japanese language. So I kept looking, and found a class which was six weeks and not a five year program. I went there, everybody was speaking Japanese and knew what they were doing and I just didn't know what was going on. But the teacher seemed really nice. I asked him if he could teach me privately, and he agreed. For the next four years he came to my studio and taught me. In the beginning he was not fluent in English and I didn't know any Japanese. So we were working with translation book and hand gestures. But you know, by the time I was ready to leave Japan in four years, he was speaking really good English and I was speaking Japanese and we could communicate a lot better!

Tip for Artists!

Title: Within Four Walls Japanese Woodblock on Kozo Paper (20x24"), 2021

37

Taking a break always helps one look at the work with fresh eyes

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece Unwritten Wills, this series makes you wonder what your loved ones left you other than “materialistic things” and awakes the feeling of gratefulness in oneself

Title: Unwritten Wills Pencil on Kozo Shi paper (60 x 42.75”), 2022

Creating art is a long process and there’s a lot of patience that goes into it. Do you still feel that after all these years, are there times when you feel disconnected with your creations, or run out of patience? I never run out of patience. In fact I feel like every day I am becoming more patient! I have been doing very labor intensive pencil drawings, which require a lot of patience. And people always say you must run out of patience but then I actually find myself going ahead and starting an even more ambitious piece. I made something recently which is very huge, about four feet by five, six feet using only very thin pencils. The more the detailed work the more I enjoy working on it, and working on it makes me want to do even more complex pieces. Sometimes it's not easy to make art because it’s a very public process, like, you create something and put it out there for 1000’s of people to see. It's a very vulnerable process when you are exposing it to the world as compared to when you do something just for your own eyes. You just have to go by the strength of your own convictions and faith in yourself.

“The answer always lies within the work.” 38

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Of all of the things to which humans aspire, foremost is a strong and insistent desire to find the best, most suitable attire for any occasion at all.

Intricate patterns and graceful motifs are born out of needles and great expertise. Gold wires, mirrors, sequins and beads create magic through colour and light. The festival season is when one will see the loveliest outfits there ever could be. Vibrant, graceful, joyous and free, symbolising time-honoured traditions.

To find the right clothing is quite an obsession, so strong it’s evolved into a profession. Thus, fashion designers with great dedication make art out of fabric and thread.

art in by Nikita Arya

I Year, Integrated MS

Designed by Aarohi Desai 38

A canvas is what we wear each day, on which the dreams of artists take shape. We put their ingenious ideas on display and share their stories with the world.

Image Source: Dall- E

attire

It can’t be denied that there’s art in attire. Crafty creations delight and inspire our sense of style, for we all aspire to stand apart from the crowd.

Pehchaan

Image Source: Dall- E

The Centerpiece

ુ ત મ ત સફર.

Designed by Aarohi Desai

by Ruchit Ghodasara III Year B.Tech

હુ

ં છુ ; તોય એક ણતો,

આ જગલને ઉપવન માનવા દે.

એ ઘનઘોર નથી બસ એટ ું ધારવા દે. આ શાંત સમીરની

તામાંથી, થોડ અમથીય ૃદત ુ ાને અ યારે પશવા દે.

ૃ ો ું પે ું ઘે ુર

ય છોડ ને અં ુંની એકલતાને પીવા દે.

બહામણા રવધટ વ ચેથી છૂટેલો, વખરાયેલ કલરવ વણવા દે. ં છુ કે કોઈ ફાયદો નથી; તોય એક વારતો,

પથરાયેલાં ુકેલાં આ પાંદને મારો ર તો ુછવા દે. વરાન ર તાની અં તમ ઉજળ મજલને

ૂલી, થોડ વાર તો મા ુ થોડ વાર,

આ નાન ડ કેડ એ ુ ત મ ત સફર માણવા દે. 40

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Gleeof Image Source: Sage Potter, Picsart

Beauty of By S.K. Sahana Lakshmi I Year, BA (Hons.)

Designed by Ramisha Dommety

Fashion and art have a common path they tread. It is that of beauty which is etched in every thread. But how does she define the beauty In the clothes she sews or the Canvas of colours she paints Or is it just that's what beauty remains? Beauty is what it is. She doesn't have a definition for beauty. Maybe she doesn't want to confine but rather set it free. You behold beauty deep within and see a glimpse of it With every passerby you see. They transmit A ray of their beauty and thee just embrace it with glee. 41

Pehchaan

Fashion and Arts

Sleeping In Her Lullaby

by Lakshita Lilani (She/her)

III Year, BA (Hons) based on the painting by Carmen Guedez Designed by Shubham Choudhary

Hello? Do you hear me? I call my lover. Do you hear me? My jaw moved continuously Block by block, I made a map on every twelfth To reach the highest of my shelves Distracted looking at her flipping a coin She won the bet, I smiled I wasn't able to hear myself when I cried Under the blue sky, I dried

Listen? The flowers in my backyard reply Remembering the tone of her walk, they turn shy Trying to adapt her ways and wishing like her I could fly I slept with her when her days seized to the heavens So, block by block I map to reach the shore at eleven My reflection had changed since I lost her Finally when she heard me Drowned in it, my life couldn’t be heard I could hear myself too, soaked in meNow, I see the blocks and feel blocked Were the flowers and the trees Under the blue sky, how am I locked? The smudges between the blocks were where she lived My blocked feelings were left for the world to receive My scattered emotions, where she met me every day at ten I could see her smile after so long she left I wish I could smudge the line between my life and hers Sleeping under the sky, trying to erase the marks of fears. 42

Pehchaan Pehchaan

Fashion The Centerpiece and Arts

WHAT GAVE THE BOOST TO

STREETWEAR

&

ATHLEISURE? By Priyam Malvania & Khushi Bhagat II Year, B.B.A (Hons) & III Year B.B.A (Hons) Designed by Priyam Malvania

01

Pharrell Williams pictured in 2006. Source : Pinterest

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Fashion and music is like time and space, you can’t have one without the other. ~ Pharell Williams

With the onset of the new millennium, hip-hop saw exponential growth in terms of commercial success and admiration amongst listeners. Since the beginning, the genre has advocated for setting new trends. Whether it's the iconic “baggy jeans” from the early 2000s or even rap’s recent obsession with exorbitantly expensive watches, glaring jewelry and designer clothes; the way one looks has always been super important to the genre. Over the past two decades, hip-hop giants including Kanye, Jay-Z, and Pharell have pioneered the “relaxed” sense of fashion that the world now recognizes as streetwear.

Hip-hop first presented its unique style through television and music videos which often featured on MTV. In the late 80s, arguably known as the founding fathers of the genre, hip-hop duo - "Run D.M.C." gave the audience a mental picture of life on the streets by wearing a pair of straight-leg jeans and Adidas Shell-toes, which are now known as the Adidas Superstars. In 1986, they released the chart-topping hit “My Adidas” which quickly became an anthem for fans around the globe. Adidas was quick to jump on the bandwagon and offered the group a $1.5 million deal in order to keep their loyalty towards the sportswear brand intact. This marked the beginning of an ingenious relationship between hip-hop and fashion.

44

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

PHARELL NMD HUMAN RACE YELLOW

ADIDAS SUPERSTARS

Industry icon - Pharrell Williams, initially started out as a producer, but went on to gain tremendous success and launched his own shoe line alongside Adidas in 2014 called the NMD collection

Orginally released in 1970, Hip-Hop duo - "Run D.M.C" made them popular among the masses in the late 80s

ADIDAS YEEZY 350 V2

AIR JORDAN 1 RED WHITE HIGH After the initial release of the Jordan 1s in '84, Hip-Hop was quick to adapt to the high tops and the genre as a whole was vital in popularizing and creating hype around the shoe.

Kanye West's Yeezy label quickly climbed to the top of the market with the release of the legendary "Yeezies" in 2017.

Image Source : PNGEgg

Fast forward to today, Adidas’ NMD Collection ideated by Pharell and the infamous “Yeezy'' label by Kanye West have become the embodiment of what steers a certain trend into action. During the Aughts, Jay-Z was perhaps the most influential name in hip-hop and his style was no less. Japanese streetwear brand - Evisu quickly became the most sought after label in the streetwear domain when Jay-Z name-called the premium denim brand in multiple records including the song “Show You How” from 2002. Even though the company faced quite the financial turmoil in 2010, due to its lasting influence on hip-hop music, it was able to find a way out of it. At present, rap moguls; Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert are connoisseurs of the Japanese denim brand and when one wears a pair of Evisu jeans, the social capital that comes with it; is impeccable. When rappers launch their own clothing lines, the business instantly develops a cult-like following. Kanye’s “Yeezy” brand is no exception. Even though he is often seen as a contentious figure, one cannot deny that Kanye has had a massive impact on streetwear as we know it today. Shoes that sell for more than thousands of dollars, sweatshirts and jackets which look penny-plain but are loved for their relaxed feel; perfectly befit the rapper’s fashion game. This collaborative project brings a huge chunk of cash inflow to Adidas every single year. Adored by celebrities, sneaker enthusiasts and ‘Ye fans alike, it is evident that the hip-hop legend’s vision came to life and his product became an unparalleled zenith amongst fans around the world. It is impossible to *rap a blanket around the forming factors that drive a fashion trend. However it is evident that a “hip” outfit doesn’t just “hop” out of nowhere. 45

Pehchaan

Fashion and Arts

THIS AIN'T DIESEL, THESE IS EVISU!

02 04

Show You How by Jay-Z

Shawn Carter a.k.a Jay-Z performing live in 2004. Source: Rolling Stone

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Sweatpants and Hoodies are the new "suit & tie". Karl Lagerfeld once said, "Sweatpants are an indication of defeat." "You lost control of your life, so you got some sweatpants," Choose "athleisure" if, just like the late Chanel creator, casual wear is not to your liking. Athleisure is a well-positioned force in the drive to rapid fashion. The surge towards a style which is an amalgamation of activewear and relaxed clothing is attributed to various factors, including expanding Millennials, increased disposable income, and per capita clothing spending amongst the youth. Talking about the promotional approach, Businesses are teaming up with people of influence to gain a more significant presence than non-active clothes. Whether it is Nike’s methodical approach to sign NBA pros on their endorsement roster or Under Armour’s collab with Dwayne Johnson to launch an exclusive activewear collection named after the American superstar; almost all celebrity backed campaigns attain huge success. While Nike, Puma, and Reebok boosted their Media Impact ValueTM (a tool for measuring brand execution) by 15% year on year, Gymshark (+34% year on year) and Lululemon (+22% year on year) are the shrouded contenders in the athleisure industry.

Image Source: NME

Gymshark became a $1.3 Billion brand merely eight years after its inception. Founder Ben Francis originally started his enterprise as a supplier of supplements. Eventually, he expanded Gymshark's product portfolio into clothing and gym wear. The British sportswear company was a part of a small group of market players who adopted the influencer marketing model as early as 2012.

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Image Source : Pinterest

Through celebrity athletes and trainers, Gymshark curated a community of emerging influencers who would market their products by posing for the ‘Gram. Within four years, Gymshark grew their revenue from $500,000 to $52 Million, all while a bunch of Youtubers & Instagram influencers were the primary element of the company’s marketing strategy Consequently, the question of whether athleisure is a passing trend or not, is one which intrigues the mind. At the data analytics and consultancy firm Global Data in the UK, Honor Strachan, the chief retail analyst, claims Athleisure to be one of the fastest-growing apparel categories. In 2023 and beyond, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to surpass the United States as the top athleisure customer in the world, selling over $500 billion annually owing to the cultural shift in garment preferences. The youth’s obsession with fitness and well-being are only certain to drive the market demand higher. With technologically advanced properties like anti-microbial and moisture-absorbent textiles, the fabrics used in the making are set to convert athleisure from just a fashion fad into a widely adopted lifestyle.

Iconic Hip Hop group - Run D.M.C pictured in '89lr

Image Source: Tumblr 48

Fashion and Arts

“Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we want to be.”

- Blair Waldorf

Image Source: StarStyle , QuestArtists

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

High fashion reimagined By Anushka Lowalekar Designed by Aarohi Desai

As someone who can barely draw a stick figure, I wouldn’t consider myself an artist. However, even to me, the influence of art on fashion is undeniable. Fashion and style have evolved vastly and are often viewed as a medium for self-expression and free speech. In the West, in particular, fashion has also served as a means of uniting communities. For instance, several brands donated parts of their proceeds to The Black Lives Matter movement. The movement also inspired the collections of designers, particularly in 2020. Similarly, the second world war also influenced the designers of fashion houses. Trends post the second world war focused on self-expression. With fewer restrictions by world leaders on the kind of art that was being produced, artists had the liberty to take a more abstract approach towards their work. The end of the war also allowed designers to cater to a wider audience. With more women entering the

workforce, designers adopted silhouettes that were less restrictive and more free-flowing. Designers such as Halston and Balenciaga popularized a flowy silhouette and fluid lines, as opposed to well-tailored and ‘practical’ clothes. Trends ranging from the 1960s to the 1980s scream maximalism in terms of colours, prints, and silhouettes. Pop art - a movement that began in the United Kingdom and the United States in the mid and late 1950 played a major role in influencing the fashion of its time. The movement aimed to challenge traditional fine art by incorporating elements of popular culture. It included imagery from massproduced items. Fashion as a whole, drew a lot of inspiration from the pop art movement. The movement introduced a plethora of bright colour palettes and bold prints which inspired several designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior.

50

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Contemporary artists such as Takashi Murakami have collaborated with brands such as Louis Vuitton to reimagine their classic monogram, adding a colourful palette and making the line of handbags widely popular in the early 2000s.

Paper dresses, an idea conceptualized by Warhol, were starting to become quite popular in this era, fed into the idea of consumerism since they were easily disposable. Could this trend be the catalyst of fast fashion as we know it today?

During the 1960s, much like pop art began challenging the ideas of traditional art, fashion also adopted a more consumeristic style, with mass production leading this approach. Andy Warhol, one of the most prominent artists of the pop-art movement, played a major role in influencing fashion.

Fashion, haute couture in particular, and art are often seen as inaccessible. The two are often associated with a certain class and stature. With the rise of social media, however, fashion has become more attainable to the common person and has become less of an intangible concept. The COVID-19 pandemic played a major role in revamping this.

Halston Spring 1978 Ready-to-Wear Collection showcasing flowy silhouettes with cinched waistlines to maintain a sense of femininity, Women’s Wear Daily

The Pochette from the Louis Vuitton X Murakami collection popularized by celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan

Pehchaan

Several fashion houses, such as Gucci and Christian Dior, opted to conduct online fashion shows. Jacquesmus, a brand that is revered for its out-of-the-box ideas and creativity, hosted a fashion show in a wheat field in order to comply with social distancing norms. Collaborations such as Moschino x H&M and Adidas x Stella McCartney, and Missoni for Target have played a large role in bridging the gap between haute couture and affordable fashion (read: fast fashion). Such collaborations not only allow designers to cater to a whole new audience but also enable consumers to expand on their personal styles without breaking the bank.

The Centerpiece

Taking the idea of online fashion to a completely new level, Decentraland, a 3D virtual-world platform hosted a Meta Verse Fashion Week (MVFW) which featured collections from brands such as Hugo Boss, Elie Saab, Dolce and Gabanna, and Roberto Cavalli. However, since the show was hosted entirely and exclusively in the metaverse, it just takes us back to the idea of inaccessibility. While the internet has democratized fashion, events like the MVFW tend to gatekeep such shows. However, with growing access to the internet, online events could be a potential solution to making fashion, and even art, a luxury that is a little more accessible to larger groups of people.

The Souper Dress, a paper dress manufactured by Campbell Soup Company; popularised by Andy Warhol, The MET museum

References:

MACCORQUODALE, T. R. A. C. E. Y. (2016, November 2). How pop art changed fashion forever. theFashionSpot. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.thefashionspot.com/style-trends/713567pop-art-fashion/ Polyzoidou, S. (2021, April 19). 9 times the history of Art Inspired Fashion Designers. TheCollector. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.thecollector.com/9-art-history-inspired-fashiondesigners/ UKEssays. (November 2018). Impact of Art on Fashion. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/the-impact-ofart-on-fashion-arts-essay.php?vref=1 Dačić, A. (2015, November 8). The impact of pop art on the world of fashion - from art to industry and back. Widewalls. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/popart-fashion-industry Kaya, O., & Cuciuc Romanescu, L. S. (2021). Effects of art trends on fashion - researchgate.net. ISRAC: INTERNATION SCIENCE AND ART RESEARCH CENTER. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/OzlemKaya/publication/352555193_EFFECTS_OF_ART_TRENDS_ON_F ASHION/links/60cfad9892851ca3acb79877/EFFECTS-OF-ARTTRENDS-ON-FASHION.pdf Li, S. (2020, June 11). 44 brands actually donating to the black lives matter movement. Teen Vogue. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fashion-and-beauty-brands-blacklives-matter-movement-donations Abu, F. (2020). How black lives matter changed fashion in 2020. BBC Culture. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201215-the-power-of-blackresistance-dressing-and-identity

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

TV SHOW: BREAKING BAD (2008)

)8991(NAYR ETAVIRP GNIVAS : EIVOM

53

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

WHAT MAKES A MOVIE

"LOOK LIKE" A MOVIE?

Designed by Priyam Malvania

By Priyam Malvania & Sarthak Bharad II Year B.B.A (Hons)

II Year B.B.A (Hons)

When one dives deep into understanding the process behind making a movie, it is very evident that “a film is truly made in the editor’s office”. There is often a perception amongst a viewer that an editor usually just assembles and structures the motion picture according to the flow the director or the producer orchestrates. However, for an editor to live up to this role, it is vital that their involvement in the film-making process starts from the sets itself. I like to believe that every editor has to be cognizant of how the director wants the film to look and deliver the correct experience to the viewer. From logging footage into organized “bins” to mastering the audio, a film editor is often the unremarked “artist” behind the big picture. Understanding the multitudinous affairs that are worked upon by the creative team may sound complex and technical, but the concrete intention behind all of them is quite simple. The director & cinematographers often aim to visualize a certain tone which dictates the flow of the movie. The creative team makes this possible through a combination of audio-visual alterations to the untouched footage. One such crucial alteration is the process of Color Grading. During the post production stage, the troupe of digital artists work towards enhancing a scene by manipulating colors which helps set a tone that aligns with the storyline of the movie. People often consider the terms “Color Grading” & “Color Correction” as interchangeable. Although both are vital to the editorial process, they do have nuances between them at a fundamental level. Color Correction is crucial to maintain consistency amongst different segments of the motion picture. The idea is to match the video footage to a standard that accurately depicts how the human eye would see it. Cleaning up blemishes and dust from photos, erasing skin imperfections, and cropping and composing images are all included in color correction. On the other hand, Color Grading is a far more ingenious set of affairs and it largely revolves around making particular adjustments to the image to produce a stylistic impact. For instance, crushing an image's blacks to make it feel modern, or using matched pictures from a camera to track and lighten the faces of the major characters to make them stand out. 54

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

The color grading done to a film is usually quite prominent and it really pertains to the creative thought process in why color needs to be adjusted. It can make an intended dramatic effect feel completely natural & the crux it serves; to denote a mood is fulfilled with colors flourishing all over the screen. Deciding a color look for a project before production starts picking up speed is crucial for the end result to look “blockbuster”. Pixar, one of the masters of storytelling, creates a range of color scripts before production commences, which indicates which color palette will be used for a particular scene. They make sure that the color used is helping to enhance the story rather than take your interest from it. Academy Award winning director - Christopher “Chris” Nolan has a prominent & special style attached to his movies. The British filmmaker values consistency. he special feel of a “Nolan Movie” comes from the efforts put in by his exemplary team which often includes the likes of legendary music composer - Hans Zimmer and Nolan’s DOP (Director of Photography), Wally Pfister. Almost all critically acclaimed directors have a passion to curate an experience that makes their vision of the movie come to life. Nolan trusted Oscar winning editor - Lee Smith with seven of his films and the end result that came from Smith’s cabin truly showcased the forte of the pair. The Australian editor was coming off his first Academy Award nomination - “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” when he first worked with Nolan on Warner Bros’. production of “Batman Begins”. Their most recent triumph came in 2018, when Dunkirk won 3 Oscars, including one for “Best Film Editing”. The colors that are visually noticeable in this war/action movie are the gift of senior colorist - Walter Volpatto. Everything that we see in Dunkirk was originally shot in film first (not on the modern digital formats). Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema (Cinematographer) wanted to make a movie like they were made during WWII. The blues and the drab of military colors that are seen in the movie, were replicated by the creative and technical expertise of Volpatto and his team from the footage originally shot on a photochemical film.If Dunkirk was produced digitally (filmed and stored on a digital storage device), it would have been easier to add in these colors on chic and powerful softwares. However, to keep the digital version of the movie homogenous to the actual photochemical print version, Volpatto and his team worked on the color grading for three months and even played both versions simultaneously to get the most accurate results.

BE FO RE

Color Grading is a collaborative process, the guidance of the director and the cinematographer is the key input for the same. Despite this, the creative nuances that every colorist brings to a movie is unique and artistic in its own way. For the audience to attain a certain sense of emotion, the way a scene looks is imperative. The director, the editor, the cinematographer and the colorist bring to you a vision that has been curated with immense technical expertise, and far more often than not, us as viewers often find ourselves in an immersive experience purely because of the colors that we see on the screen. The art of Color Grading is a process which requires an intuitive mind and major expertise. Only a few have mastered this skill, and the endresult that comes from these “masters” is phenomenal. ROCKET BOYS (

55

BE FO RE BE FO RE

AF TE R AF TE R

DUNKIRK (2018)

THE AVIATOR (2004)

BE FO RE

300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE (2014)

AF TE R

(2022)

The Centerpiece

BE FO RE

Pehchaan

7

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

By Aashna Vora

IV year, B.A. (Hons) Designed by Siya Bhandari

When you search “serial killers” on the internet, apart from flattering photos of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy or Richard Ramirez, you will see flashy titles like “Tips to dress like your favorite serial murderers” or “Limited edition serial killer clothing”. While the topic of serial killers has always tickled the curiosity bone, lately, serial killers have been sensationalized, rather romanticized with the Hollywood representation of their lives played by the most admired (attractive) actors. Not only does this distort the perception of people towards their criminality, they get fashioned as some sort of ‘exotica’, something one always gets attracted to, or wants to be. And that’s where it ties to fashion. Fashion acts as a medium to feel attractive and express one’s autonomy, a bridge to cover the gap between what one actually feels like and what ‘dressing up’ would make them feel like. Fundamentally, both acts are an effort to look different and be seen. But that does not happen to be the only common ground these wildly different areas share. What then, is the link between fashion and serial killers? What normalizes, rather fetishizes, serial killers? Is their fashion “enclothed” in their cognition in a way that their clothes make up for what they are? And most importantly, do they all wear the same glasses?

57

Pehchaan

Fashion and Arts

With the dawn of the social media era, fashion has become something that can be circulated, inspired and achieved. It is a way to look “attractive” and “likable” (Preiholt, Svendsen, 2017). And our goto for fashion inspiration is often the celebrities we idolize and idealize. And with the idiosyncratic narratives around serial killers, they are no less than celebrities we look up to, hopefully only for fashion inspiration. There has been a hefty appetite for “fashionable” and “glamorous” criminals and through movies and series like “Conversations with a killer - The Ted Bundy tapes” or “The Jeffrey Dahmer tapes”, this appetite has only grown.

Their fashion, like the infamous

DAHMER GLASSES

Image source: newstaco.com

called "murderabilia" has been up for grabs for thousands of dollars.

Image source: distractify.com

Romanticized as “serial killer iconography” glasses are just basic visual aids that more than 75% people in the world use, hence many serial killers also do. But what makes the glasses infamous is the person behind it and the eyeballs (pun intended) every step of theirs attracts.

Image source: crimeonline.com

58

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

These glasses actually add to the ‘shady’ aesthetic that a killer wants to present. The Guardian’s analysis of the “Dahmer Glasses” reflect not only the impression of an “aloof sociopath” behind it but that of someone bothered and consumed by a personal issue. This is also quite similar to mainstream narratives about these killers’ criminality attributed to gory childhood abuse and suppressed feelings that look for a place to be concretely expressed. This desire for expression is the base for both, criminality as well as fashion, and the base that connects both to each other. For a serial killer, his clothes are not merely to wrap his body, but to cover his own self. And yet, serial killings are the most ‘seen’. It presents a contradiction in expression of criminality and representation. Simply put, the clothes he wears are seen as the immediate representation he makes of himself, a harmless person, while his intentions are ‘wrapped’ and eventually expressed in his crimes, thus an expression of his own self. Here, Shakespeare’s “Apparel oft proclaims the man”, aka “Clothes make the man” carries two meanings. The first meaning is that of social representations and status, which a killer reinforces to appear influential and confident, so that he can attract attention to him, attention that stays. The second meaning is that of shaping behavior and influencing one’s thought process, also known as “enclothed cognition” (yes, it's a thing). Enclothed cognition broadly means using clothes as a social representation of what a person thinks, believes and holds true (Adam, Galinksy, 2012). Thus, fashion here, veils (yes, pun) behind itself is an emptiness - a longing for “self construct”, to express something concretely that has not been expressed. It attaches itself to the meaning of “becoming”, a construction of one’s identity that has a desire to be expressed.

Fashion thus, becomes a make-believe game, where the attire becomes a camouflage, wherein attractiveness and intention merge into one. (Preiholt, Svendsen, 2017)

There also happens to be a longing in the becoming of their selves - a longing for a conception of life that one desires, one that is expressed by clothes, often an extravagant lifestyle. Thus, one cannot differentiate between the attractiveness and the impression that a criminal might create from the intention he has. The criminal’s attire becomes a disguise through which the criminal creates an impression. He also builds his own self simultaneously, through what he wears, what he thinks and what he does. His guise is what he feeds off of, in his criminal “career” as well as within himself.

59

Pehchaan

Image source: thetimes.co.uk

References: Hajo Adam, Adam D. Galinsky, Enclothed cognition, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 48, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 918925, ISSN 0022-1031, https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc e/article/pii/S0022103112000200 Treadwell, James. (2008). Treadwell, J. (2008) 'Call the (Fashion) Police: How fashion becomes criminalized', Papers from the British criminology Conference , 8(1): 117-133, https://www.researchgate.net/publicat ion/282076899_Treadwell_J_2008_'C all_the_Fashion_Police_How_fashion_ becomes_criminalised'_Papers_from_t he_British_criminology_Conference_8 1_117-133

Image source: sfweekly.com

Tefler. (2018, May 1). Why does it seem like serial killers all wear the same glasses? | US crime. The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/ 2018/may/01/why-does-it-seemlike-serial-killers-all-wear-thesame-glasses Ramsland. K., (2022, September 1). Clothes Make the Killer. Psychology Today. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/ blog/shadow-boxing/202011/clothesmake-the-killer

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

AVoiceForThe VOICELESS By Rohith Srinivasan III year, Integrated MS

Designed by Siya Bhandari Art has always been a great medium of drawing attention while giving a message. It has been a form of expression and communication of thoughts, emotions, and desires adding creativity to a cause. Art has historically been a powerful asset in resistance and other power struggles. In these times of rapid urbanization, degrading natural habitats, climate change, and declining wildlife populations worldwide, it has become an alarm to conserve what remains. Art has been used to give a voice to the voiceless, whether in protest signs, graffiti walls, or traditional art paintings; art has the power to make people feel connected to a cause. When it comes to the conservation of a locality, it is essential to bring in the support of the public across the world and local communities. From a researcher’s point of view, conservation is usually statistics and numbers that are hard to explain to citizens, and that is where art becomes a powerful tool. Art has no language barriers, and anyone can become an artist. Through art, one can show the past, present, and how the future will look. Art and culture, along with scientific research and legal strategies in campaigns against many environmentally 61

destructive projects have proved to be an effective tool, pulling in the support of the public as well as researchers, legal advisers, and policymakers. Shortly after the world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) provision was diluted. It gave clearance for projects by large scaled multinational companies, mining coal companies, and the construction of dams and railway lines in many wildlife-protected regions across India. This was a clear sign that the Government was using the inaccessibility of outside spaces as an opportunity to sign off many big destructive projects across different biodiversity-rich regions in India, as citizens could not campaign by gathering for protests due to COVID-19. Activists, environmentalists, lawyers, and the general public took to social media and flooded it with tweets; the entire country was bursting with questions about these clearances. Given the pandemic, conservationists, researchers, and environmentalists across the country had to navigate to find ways to battle this situation. People from all walks of life, like, students, doctors, lawyers, farmers, teachers, fisherfolk, artists, architects,

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

business owners, researchers, environmentalists, and traditional indigenous people, came together to campaign online. Twitter storms, online petitions, campaigning through social media, and emailing ministers and the government, were common ways the general public came together to mobilize and protect our natural habitats. Time and time again, we have seen that united movements and outpouring of support from the public have been deemed successful in fighting against environmentally destructive projects. From Dehing Patkai Elephant Valley in Assam to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu to Amche Mollem in Goa, art has been a powerful tool in campaigning and stopping big projects from destroying these biodiversity-rich regions. In the case of Vedanthangal, it is the oldest bird sanctuary in the country. It was declared a bird sanctuary in 1936, situated on the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The locals have been protecting this sanctuary and the surrounding lakes for centuries. Thousands of migratory birds come to this lake during the winter months; some species even nest yearly. It is a lake-wetland complex interconnecting with many smaller lakes around the sanctuary. The local people survive because of Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. The water from the lakes is used for growing crops, drinking water, and other household purposes. Bird poop in the lake makes the water highly nutritious, which gives the farmers more yield. The locals do not burst crackers while celebrating the festival of Deepavali to conserve the ecosystem. There have been for several years of community-based conservation at Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. After the monsoon rains, this lake drains many villages and is the only source of drinking water (Aves, 2022). Sun Pharma, a pharmaceutical company situated at the sanctuary, releases all its wastewater chemicals that have highly toxic chemicals, which could lead to neurological damage and even cancer, into the lake. This is directly affecting both the people and as well as the birds that visit the sanctuary every year. The government had proposed to reduce the bird sanctuary buffer zone from 5 KM to 3 KM, thereby expanding the Sun Pharma company further inside the sanctuary. This company has been listed under the Red Category list but has gotten Environmental clearances (Radhakrishnan et al., 2022). During the pandemic, the company's production increased drastically, and lakes and ponds around had stagnant blackish-oily substances with a strong chemical smell. At Vedanthangal, many farmers are selling their agricultural fields to real estate owners who will eventually be

Artwork by Smriti Choudhary 62

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Artwork by Ishaan, Class 5

Artwork by Diya Rajesh Class 8

Artwork by Nithya, Class 7

Artwork by Varun Girish, Class 5

bought by industrial companies, polluting the region and destroying the bird sanctuary. The only solution was to stop this and not let the government reduce the sanctuary's size. Yuvan Aves started a campaign to help save the bird sanctuary. Alongside, The Chennai for Climate Action Group also had conducted many Twitter and email campaigns which turned out to be very powerful. School students, college students, and artists from different parts of India contributed artwork, making it even more powerful. Art was put up everywhere. This campaign, #savevedanthangalbirdsanctuary, is for the local people and the birds. The campaign went viral on social media. Much attention was given to the issue, which pressured the industries, the forest department, and the government to resolve the situation. This led to the forest department refusing a Non-objection Certificate to the pharmaceutical company as the company affects the nutrient-rich soil of the region. Recently in July 2022, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary was designated as a protected Ramsar Site (International protection for wetlands), which is excellent for the sanctuary. More voice has to be made for the smaller habitats we lose daily. 63

Artwork by Manasa, Class 8

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Even during the dilution of the EIA act, art storms took the stage; all across students from schools and colleges, artists, senior citizens, and anyone and everyone began creating art for a cause after realizing how these projects would affect the lives of people in the near future. People from different countries and occupations made different kinds of art, expressing their emotions for the cause and supporting the campaigns, connecting each other’s artwork and joining hands to campaign online. Social media is where a particular post attracts people and encourages them to know more about the situation.

Artwork by Anusha Menon

Artwork by Anirudh, Class 7

Artwork by J. Balaji

Artwork by Kaavya, Class 7

Through art, anyone could become an activist - there are no impediments. It became a more powerful tool as youth and children of all ages contributed to the cause. Even today, these campaigns are growing bigger and bigger, and through art, many murals, stories, poems, and artwork are being established in these regions that protect it. Art is an excellent tool in conservation and has become the deep inner voice of the animals, forests, rivers, oceans, grasslands, sky, air, indigenous people, and us.

All artworks used were part of the #savevedanthangalbirdsanctuary # savevedanthangalbirdsanctuary by local students from of Abacus Montessori School, Chennai References: Aves, Y. (2022, May 26). Children make art to save Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. Vikalp Sangam. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://vikalpsangam.org/article/vedanthangal-art-to-save/ Radhakrishnan, H., Gupta, A., & Joshi, M. (2022, June 22). Environmental clearance for Sun Pharma expansion in Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary sparks row. RSS. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.landconflictwatch.org/conflicts/environmental-clearance-for-sun-pharma expansion-in-vedanthangal-bird-sanctuary-sparks-row

64

From the collectio

#6 WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? The streets in Berkeley, CA can ideally be described as galleries of graffiti and street art. "War, What is it Good for?" is pictured on the same streets and it gives a glimpse of the murals that are distinctive to The Golden State.

65

#14 WE'RE IN THIS T Artechouse is an innovative space and immersive arena in Chelsea, NY. It is home to interactive digital art from across the world.

on - Project Zero

ALL ALONE TOGETHER "We're All Alone in this Together" was captured at this unique space which aims to exhibit pieces which inspire, educate and empower the viewer.

#22 GEN-Z' ODYSSEY Gen-Z's Odyssey is from Brooklyn, NY and it primarily highlights the mission that Generation Z seems to have taken up. Always being at the forefront to create a better world is not easy. Artist - Eduardo Kobra brings a new segment to the "Rushmore" vibe.

66

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Marjorie

I have to confess: the two women I love the most are my grandma and Taylor Swift. That combined with the incessant need to intertwine all the things I love into knots of thread led to this. Long story short, I picked my needles and used my best colours to embroider her portrait for the simple reason that I had the time and ability to make it.

By Mohit Manghani II Year B.B.A (Hons)

01 67

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

0268

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

PEHCHAAN

The Students' Magazine Club

Priya Mehta

Aadya Ratan

Anannya Oli

Akhil Mundaplackal

Aarohi Desai

Aarya Shah

Aditi Mohta

Anushka Lowalekar

Asmita Gattamraju

Pehchaan

The Centerpiece

Bhavya Patodi

Isha Iyer

Prarthna Iyer

Priyam Malvania

Satya Andani

Shubham Choudhary

Stuti Iyer

Nirja Sukhadia

Ramisha Dommety

Siya Bhandari

Get in touch with us!

[email protected] @ahduni_magazineclub