————————-                                                                                              INDRAKSHI PATTANAIK

On styling as a career, success and what comes with it

Conversation by Dipali Lath | Edited by Sushmitha Kotikalapudi

“Many people have great taste and style, but it has to be combined with hard work and no ego because 90 per cent of the job is not glamorous at all!  ASSIST. You have to get out there and get your hands dirty,fumble and learn from your boss, observe, listen, and network”

The Sol: How did you stumble upon and recognize styling as a career option, while even today, many don’t understand what exactly it entails?

Indrakshi: After school finished back in 2007, I was really confused (with much less internet access than kids have today); honestly, I had no idea about the world of design. I did a lot of research. I thought I would ‘try’ Graphic Design initially. Then I stumbled upon a course called “Fashion Communication”. Everybody thinks fashion means only “fashion design” – but this was also about the business of fashion. I had no idea about Marketing, Branding, Visual Merchandising, Art Direction & Styling; it explored everything!

I got through Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune: I got lucky, I landed a fantastic internship in my 3rd Year, which helped me win the best Degree Project Award, which gave me the confidence to go deeper in my study. I went on to do my Masters in Fashion Styling & Creative Direction at POLIMODA, Florence.

If you are unclear of your direction at any point, getting that hands-on experience is critical and empowering. My first few Internships at GRAZIA, VOGUE magazine & assisting costume designers in films —that’s where I got a taste of what costume & styling was like on set and in a safe environment where I felt like I could contribute.

The Sol: You do a lot of incredible work with colourful and fashion-forward outfits and yet managed to put together stunning looks for a period-drama like ‘Mahanati’- how did you tackle the contrast?

Indrakshi: Styling to me is very personal; each project I do is my baby. One of the most important traits a stylist needs is versatility and staying constantly updated with world news, music, Cinema, and art. Everything inspires. Our job is to interpret any vision and execute that in the deadline and budget we have. You have to be adaptable. Styling for a print shoot & Costume Designing for a film is very different from each other. I do both.

I feel stylists could be psychologists in a way, when it comes to their work. For instance, in costume design, to truly understand the characters, going deep in our research, doing field study, watching documentaries, getting inspired from real people, and even trying to understand what lingerie this character might wear, what the character would wear at night to sleep can help. We have to become the character to successfully create a fictional character’s wardrobe, keeping in mind the vision of my Director.

Whereas in print, I work with photographers to create a story with images. It’s like painting– as stylists, we are also visual artists, and we constantly have to work with new aesthetics, be updated and open-minded; I try to keep my signature style somehow. I always love nostalgia and vintage, and you’ll see that.

The Sol: You successfully recreated some iconic looks for ‘Mahanati’ – what were the challenges you faced while curating a varied range of sarees, jewellery, and accessories for such a highly anticipated film? Do you have a defined process while putting looks together for movies?

Indrakshi: The first step in any film project is research. I am not a South Indian, and I was recreating life in the 1940s to 1980s in the Southern Film Industry, mainly in Madras. I had to unlearn and learn. I first watched as many films as I could of that period, especially those from which I had to recreate scenes. There are very few Photographic archives online of how people of Madras dressed in those times. All I had was fictional costumes of what the actors wore in films. But what would Savitri & Gemini Ganesan wear on a typical day at home?

Also, we had fictional characters in our 1980’s setup; what would a traditional Tamil Brahmin girl wear to work? What would Photojournalist from Madras look like? Also, it was equally important to understand what costumes to give for, say, a newspaper vendor or a passerby on the road in Madras in those eras. I tried to find references online, but I couldn’t find much. Then I decided to start an online campaign; I posted on social media requesting everyone to send me photos of their family from those eras if they had family roots from where Savitri lives. I was overwhelmed with the response.

My primary learning came from the black and white photos of different people from Madras and South Indian villages. My inspiration on how to style & accessorize the characters, keeping in mind a colour palette for all the eras, came from the campaign.

After that, the sourcing began. From getting custom-designed outfits for the lead characters by Archana Rao & Gaurang to working closely with our jewellery sponsors to finding antique pieces and reusing them in the film. We procured many vintage sarees; we even borrowed from friend’s grandmothers. We also used my Director Nag Ashwin’s mother’s sari. It makes me emotional; this film was a journey – a passion project!

The Sol: You’re a National Award Winning costume designer – does that come with added responsibilities? Has something changed since? What does this mean for you?

Indrakshi: It means a lot to me that my work got noticed by some great people in the industry. I will be forever grateful for an award of this stature at such an early phase of my career. It gives me a sense of responsibility that I provide the same honest hard work to every project I work on in the future and contribute more to the world of Cinema.

Costume design is teamwork with many departments working on a film. I have learnt that talent isn’t everything. It’s the kind of person you are at the end of the day – being grateful, ethical & kind to your team goes a long way to create together and, in a way, makes you irreplaceable to the team. Your relationships are essential because that’s how teamwork makes the dream work.

The Sol: Many youngsters today are interested in the field but are often clueless about starting. What would your advice be to someone interested in becoming a costume designer or a stylist? 

Indrakshi: There’s no correct answer. You can first choose to study or jump in and assist. Whatever path you choose, there is no shortcut. Being a stylist is not just red-carpet glitz & parties or getting “Insta-famous”.

My advice to students considering this career path is to ask themselves how hard they’re prepared to work. Many people have great taste and style, but it has to be combined with hard work and no ego because 90 per cent of the job is not glamorous at all! ASSIST. You have to get out there and get your hands dirty, fumble and learn from your boss, observe, listen, and network; take your time before you step out on your own – because once you are on your own, you can’t afford to make mistakes.

Have the pride to call yourself a good assistant stylist before calling yourself an independent stylist. Always return things in better condition than when you found them. Always say thank you. Return every email. And always treat and credit everyone equally. Others may not understand your style at first. It takes time. It helps if you believe in yourself. You have to be patient and passionate. You need to stay relevant even after 20 years and build your body of work over time.

The Sol: What’s next for Indrakshi? Is there anything you are currently working on?

Indrakshi: Because of the lockdown, a few films I worked on couldn’t release. One of them is a historical war film called ‘Marakkar’ directed by Priyadarshan. I was also excited about a music video I styled for a feminist activist & musician Madame Gandhi; it just won the best music video at SXSW. It’s directed by Misha Ghose, whose work in music films I admire, and produced by Chalk & Cheese Films, who are like family to me, so it’s another passion project.

I styled the last two music videos of Prateek Kuhad – Shehron Ke Raaz, & Khone Do. Reema Maya beautifully directed both. I’ve received so much love for vintage aesthetic costumes through the projects. I want to work more with musicians and do more indie films/videos.

I just wrapped my first Hindi feature, too, Loop Lapeta, directed by Aakash Bhatia. This film is very close to my heart. It’s an excellent script, an adaptation of Run Lola Run. The film’s treatment is very different from most films being made in Bollywood; it will be a visual treat! Also, currently reading scripts, as we can’t shoot. Health is a priority- let’s see what the future holds. I never plan.

The Sol: Lastly, how would you describe your style? Are there any must-haves that one should have in their wardrobe to amp up their fashion game?

Indrakshi: My style is constantly evolving with every phase of my life. It’s what, at that particular moment, makes me feel the best version of myself. My love for collecting timeless vintage pieces continues. On a typical day, you’ll see me with high waisted jeans, a pullover or a knotted shirt and boots. As much I love colour, I love black & white. I have phases where I wear a lot of jewellery & then I have phases where I don’t wear any. 

I can’t decide generic must-haves for another individual. Everybody has a different style. But I want to assert we need to shop consciously now more than ever. With the current world crisis, we have to learn to “shop from our wardrobe”. Try recreating a look you saw online with similar pieces you have! We have a lot in our wardrobe sitting that needs a second chance. We consume so much for one time wear. 

To anyone shopping now, I would ask myself: “How many ways can I wear this?” Think real hard. Invest in quality.