A Celebration of Sultry Summer Prêt

The summer aesthetic remains a perennial favourite, celebrated for its vibrant colours, free-spirited vibe, and eclectic mix of patterns. It has captivated fashion enthusiasts globally, leaving its mark on runways, streets, and social media.

As the mercury rises, India’s fashion world comes alive with vibrant colours and a melange of patterns and textures, celebrating the timelessness of summer prêt wear. This season’s aesthetic is a delightful fusion of styles unveiling a myriad of possibilities. Flowy silhouettes dominate the scene, providing comfort without compromising on style. Floral, abstract, and ethnic motifs take centre stage, adding a playful yet sophisticated touch to the summer fashion landscape.

Designers across the country, like Aseem Kapoor, Payal Singhal, Nupur Kanoi, Masaba, Papa Don’t Preach Prêt, and more, are exploring rich, multifarious prints with abstract designs and classic stripes, creating a captivating narrative of colours and textures that is pushing the boundaries of conventional fashion. Their creations draw inspiration from Bohemian style, integrating draped fabrics, fringes, frills, and lace, resulting in garments that exude freedom and creativity.

This summer, we embrace the season’s spirit with a bohemian flair as three icons come together to create a fashion spectacle that will redefine the Indian prêt landscape. Indian supermodel Ujjwala Raut, renowned photographer Jatin Kampani, and avant-garde stylist Shilpa Chavan join forces to create a visual feast for the eyes, blending the rich heritage of Indian textiles and crafts with the free-spirited vibe of Western bohemian fashion.

In a chat with the veterans, we dived deeper into their creative processes behind the shoot, exploring the challenges and triumphs of bringing such a grand vision to life. Read along as we unravel the story behind this collaboration and the impact it has on the fashion landscape.

FL: As the photographer, Jatin, how do you approach a project like this? Could you walk us through the pre-production process and the key elements you focus on to ensure a successful shoot?

JK: I see the visual medium as a medium of storytelling. When briefed, my objective was to draw the attention of the viewer to the possibilities of creating a great fashion identity that is clutter-breaking and individualistic. Since it was a summer campaign, we kept the colours refreshing and surreal. The fact that the models are standing on the water gives them a feeling of fearless expression and almost afloat in people’s perception. I thoroughly enjoy the space of creating thought-provoking visuals, and I think we successfully arrived at that, in this case, with the sensibilities of what one can do with great designer clothing.

FL: As a fashion stylist veteran, you’ve likely worked on various shoots, Shilpa. How was this shoot unique compared to your other project?

SC: What I found unique about working on this project is that many of us came back together on the floor to do a shoot. Like, Jatin and I have done a few projects together. Ujjwala and I have known each other for many years. But I don’t think we ever did a shoot where I was directly styling her. It was exciting to work with a team you have always wanted to work with. And, of course, not to mention our beautiful models, amazing set and the entire team that came together. I think everybody was super excited to do some brilliant shots. It’s worked!

FL: Ujjwala Raut, as an iconic Indian supermodel, you’ve seen the evolution of Indian fashion. How do you feel about the current state of prêt wear in India, and what excites you about this shoot’s concept?

UR: We have definitely evolved in the field of couture and regal designing but the current state of prêt wear in India is still evolving. The intricacies of prêt demand a lot of elements – people should understand it, the price should be at the right point, and it should not be difficult to wear or re-wear it. Otherwise, it’s just very difficult to appeal to the masses. So, we need to find an easy way to show people how to put things together, wear them and carry them. We’re getting there, but it will take a little more time because our country is so diverse; we have so much variety, so many choices, and people have so much style and swag.

The shoot was really, really a lot of fun. It’s a bohemian style, but it’s classy. As long as the textures, colours, and fabrics complement each other, you cannot really go wrong. You can do a lot of mix-and-match with bohemian style because it’s supposed to be really, really cool, and I think that’s what the youngsters of India are more comfortable with.

FL: Shilpa, with your vast experience as a fashion stylist, how do you stay inspired and innovative when working on projects like this? What was your approach to styling this shoot, and were there any particular challenges you faced?

SC: I think what is inspiring when you do a styling project, and it’s unique to every project itself, is what the project is about, the resources you have and above all, the team that you’re working with. I think it’s very important to be on the same page with the team in order to bring what you can to the table. It was challenging to create looks from the inventory available to us. For stylists, the sky is the limit, right! You can go to every shop you want, anywhere you want, and source everything. But I liked the challenge of mixing and creating looks from what was there.

FL: Jatin and Shilpa, how do you ensure that the creative vision for the shoot is translated effectively into the final product? Could you share some insights into the mood-boarding process for this shoot? How did you ensure that the mood boards accurately reflected the desired look and feel of the final images?

SC: I guess when you’re working on a fashion shoot or a campaign, you always come up with like a few keywords, or a theme that one needs to follow, but ultimately, it also will depend on what are the different components that come together towards making that image possible, which is as close to the mood board, whether it’s subconsciously in your head or to a physical mood board that one has created, right? So, whilst we were saying that it needs to have this very bohemian feel, there was also this idea of it being in a surreal setting. The styling was a mix of Indian, Western, and Indo-Western kind of bohemian, because we are catering to an Indian market.

JK: Our sensibilities aligned well with this project and, therefore, the outcome. I think my stylist, Shilpa, has made a huge contribution to the shoot. Her input and vision for styling are extremely modern, and she was a privileged choice in bringing this project to light. Setting a precedent in creative fields is exhausting as you’re attempting something never done before, and she has been so aligned with a process that the outcome is totally rewarding.

FL: Shilpa and Ujjwala, fittings and trials are crucial to the styling process. How did you ensure the looks came together seamlessly, and were there any last-minute adjustments you had to make?

SC: I think Ujjwala and I were on the same page from the beginning. We’ve known each other for a few years and understand what we bring to the table. It was even during fittings when, in one of her first looks, we made her try a jacket; it didn’t work, and she was like, you know, let’s tuck it in, let’s see what happens. So, she completely partnered on this. And Jatin had just said two words to me – have fun. In one of the shots, I’ve draped a saree as a gown. And Ujjwala was very open to it. We did like a pair of Patiala-ish pyjama pants with a choli, and she was very open to that, too. There were no questions about why are we doing this. We both agreed on almost everything. So yeah, I think it was important that we were on the same page and the aesthetics didn’t kind of fight each other. I was super happy working with her.

UR:  I’ve been working with her (Shilpa) for a long time. Obviously, when I get into an outfit and I don’t feel it, I tell the stylist straight away that I don’t feel it. The great thing is that she had plenty of options. Of course, it had to match her personality, and the photographer had a say, too. She did a great job of bringing together Indian and bohemian styles, with looks that are not too revealing nor conservative, along with stylish and cool statement colours. So, it was just easy.

FL: How was your experience working together on this collaboration, considering your expertise as creative individuals in your respective fields?

SC: All in all, I think it was a super team. Even in terms of the brief from the PPUS team, there were no rules. They wanted it to be a bohemian-inspired shoot but other than that, they didn’t interfere. Shamita was amazing. Jatin and I have worked together, so we are kind of on the same page, we didn’t need to discuss anything. Elton and I have worked after a really long time. Ujjwala is a goddess as I have just said. So, I think the team was amazing.

UR: It was just an amazing day to work with Jatin Kampani and Shilpa. We call her Little Shilpa because she’s very cute and little! I’ve shot a few covers with Jatin which I love, love, love. He really understands. I mean, he’s one of my favourite photographers. So, every time his name comes up, I’m very thrilled to be working with him and with Shilpa. It was a great team to come together because it was exactly where it needed to be. And everyone had a say, and it’s nice to be on jobs like that, where everyone is on the same wavelength and everyone respects everyone. And I think that’s what is really good about working with people who are very well-established in this industry.

JK: In all, we’ve had a great experience working on this from conception through execution and final communication. I think we have a great fashion story to tell!

This collaboration serves as a testament to the endless possibilities of Indian prêt wear. The result is a visual narrative that captivates and inspires. With designers pushing the boundaries of conventional fashion, the future of prêt wear in India looks brighter than ever, promising an exciting journey of exploration and creativity for fashion enthusiasts around the world.

The quartet of pizzazz, changing the fashion landscape one frame at a time.

(L-R): Jatin Kampani, a shutterbug, a storyteller, and an awardee of the ‘Best Photographer of the Year’ by ‘Asian Photography’, a magazine that honours the photography industry as a whole; Ujjwala Raut, one of India’s first supermodels, the Femina Look of the Year ’96 winner and she is also amongst the first Indians to walk for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2002 and 2003; Shilpa Chavan, a.k.a Little Shilpa, uses fashion as a base to create a visual mosaic where her inspiration is derived from travel, memories and a need to push the boundary; Elton Fernandez, a store-house of talent in the hair and makeup fraternity.