Identity In Fashion

Most days at fashion weeks, I have been divided whether or not to put on my heels. Holding two cameras, wearing a slit dress, and shooting from the photographer’s pit…heels are literally the last thing I need! Ask a model and she’d tell you, comfort in fashion is a big, fat lie.

But still, in order to get a decent #ootd, I often slip into my wedges just to make the photograph look more composite. It’s times like these when you chose pain over comfort, fashion over style and let yourself live a small glamourous lie.

It’s always said that fashion is for the rule-breakers, for those who can’t follow the queue or go down the beaten path. But is it, truly? Sure, whacky colours, curtain tassels as earrings, off-shoulders and 90s slang on footwear might shape your sartorial style. But do they really have the power to change you as a person? Yes and No.

Identities are often formed and erased, and most times, you don’t even have a clue about when you, as a person changed on the outside. I know dear friends who have changed the way they dress drastically, all following a bad breakup. An identity crisis though, is caused because of the society we live in and the judgements that come along. For few people, these judgements actually help them ‘find’ their voice, but for most, the damage is done.

The first and foremost reason is when people move. Be it from different cities, small or big, new places of work, shifting a house, moving in with your in-laws perhaps, or when you start to live alone. With cultural change and changing socio-personal boundaries, you begin to see yourself differently and dress differently too.

The second is when you allow yourself to be influenced by fast and rapidly changing trends. The desire to stay updated with everything that’s at the mall and the need to look fashionable wherever you go. I could give you an example, I have a serious dislike for chokers, I think they’re suffocating and look hideous. I believe there’s only a rare few who can pull it off, but I am guilty of buying one for myself for ‘just in case’. It’s instances like these when you ‘share’ your identity with the world of fashion.

The third is related to your body, the biological changes it undergoes and how that directly affects the clothes you wear. Bodily image, what we eat, and how we look is an important aspect of fashion psychology, and has a direct correlation between shopping and branding identity.

So what is it about fashion that changes people?   Fashion is like a mirror that reflects your personality, not a closet that’s built overnight without a lack of taste and wit. Fashion is about emotions- about how it makes you feel. It’s like the sea, the waves will come gushing into your wardrobe, but withdraw themselves back in the same speed.  I have a closet full of clothes that I, one fine day thought are ‘not my type’. Why? Because my body had changed, my influence and perspective towards the subject had changed.

This is one the biggest challenges to conquer. To find a consensus on whom we truly are versus who we wish to become. This series of photographs has taken Prerna and me brainstorming and a nerve wracking amount of time to ideate, conceptualize, put it on paper and finally bring out.

Essentially, all I wish to say- your brain is a work of art and it has the ability to ponder beyond the normal, to see newer perspectives, unlearn what you have, and learn things that you never thought you’d be able to create.

Treat fashion like art, and art as fashion. Try finding your voice through what you wear without letting it define you. Because the clothes you wear might change your perspective, but it certainly can’t change the way you look at yourself in the mirror.

Photography: Prerna Gauba

Post Processing: Somya Suresh

Creative Conceptualization : Somya Suresh and Prerna Gauba

Make sure you’ve added us on Instagram,  Facebook, and Zomato!
And if you want to make some scrumptious dishes at home, subscribe to our Youtube  channel .
We’re also on Snapchat and Roposo as @eatstyleshop. Follow along!