VOGUE India

I’VE BECOME SLIGHTLY obsessed with the idea of resilience recently. Leading a cohort of high achievers in an institution that is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, I have learnt that resilience is, arguably, the single most important block in the Jenga game of success. In our team, it manifests in the ability to take multiple rounds of sometimes conflicting feedback and still have the energy and enthusiasm to keep going. To work with different personalities who play together as well as Mentos and Diet Coke, and still create something memorable. To give your ego the day off because today, you just have to roll up your sleeves and get it done, even if it’s not really your job to do. This issue began with the vision of highlighting Indian craft,…

Aanchal Malhotra Writer, ‘Current affairs’, page 74 “I recently learnt about Taarkashi, a form of counted thread work where specific threads running vertically and horizontally are cut and drawn out while the remaining are stitched together into intricate patterns.” Aanchal Malhotra is a Delhi-based oral historian and author who recently published The Book of Everlasting Things. TITO Videographer, ‘Sonic boom’, page 124 “I learnt bookmaking on an assignment. I really enjoy the idea of assembling images into photo books or photo zines and learning how different printing formats affect the experience of going through a work.” Based between Kolkata and Mumbai, Tito is a visual artist whose work spans film, photography and sound. Farhan Hussain Photographer, ‘Sonic boom’, page 124 “Growing up in an Assamese household and later being introduced to Naga and Manipuri cuisine in college, I developed an understanding…

The desert of Kachchh in Gujarat is a searing white canvas spanning 30,000 square kilometres with parts of it in Pakistan. The sand glistens, sticking like glitter to camels’ hooves as they plod across the arid landscape. Squint and you’ll see a line of Agariya farmers working the salt pans, often the only caesura marking the horizon. Look farther and colours start to emerge—bright red bands merging with dusty yellows, covering the bhunga mud houses and making the desert sing. Kachchh is home to one of the country’s most densely packed craft clusters—weavers, leather craftsmen, potters moulding the abundant clay into objects of wonder and artisans working with Ajrakh. “Kachchh has always been an independent, isolated region because of the difficult geographical terrain, so the locals had to use all their might…

Growing up far from fashion’s urban centres can make this world seem almost mythical. As a teenager in Indore, I would walk around an old chikoo tree in my backyard, hatching grand schemes to manifest my dream of working as a magazine editor. It’s a similar journey for these four young designers who hail from Nainital, Bijnor, Almora and Ramgarh, where the farthest point of civilisation can be reached within 15 minutes. But small-town origin stories can fuel grand ambitions, as these creatives prove.They’ve adopted a radical approach to their craft, where proportions, techniques and ideas move beyond tried-and-tested formulas into delightfully fresh expressions. For some, memories of home inspire new designs while for others, they spark ambition. NAME: IKSHIT PANDE HOMETOWN: NAINITAL, UTTARAKHAND PRINCESS GOWNS WITH leg-of-mutton sleeves, tulle skirts, lace…

ON THE FACE of it, it might not seem like Lata Sharma and Shobha Valmiki have much in common. Sharma lives in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, where winter blankets the region in snow and summer carpets it in kaleidoscopic wildflowers. Valmiki resides 850 kilometres away in Bhikamkor, a Rajasthani village on the fringes of the Thar desert. Sharma is approaching fifty while Valmiki is in her mid-thirties. While you’re likely to find Sharma layered in snug hand-knit shawls and sweaters, Valmiki prefers breathable cotton saris with a pallu lightly covering her head. Yet these two women, who have never met each other, are united by an invisible sisterhood. For nearly a decade, they have worked with all-women collectives that ensure sustainability not only in materials and techniques but also…

As rookie journalists in a newsroom, my friends and I devised innovative ways of entertaining ourselves. To be able to come up with a witty quip for a headline about the newest restaurant in town, we’d go about our day sending groan-worthy one-liners to each other in a bid to out-pun the other. Those silly word games helped keep me sharp and connected to the craft of writing. Today, AI tools can come up with reams of copy and a barrage of puns with a single prompt. I use them to sift through the tangle of words in my head when I’m writing, to help structure my thoughts and push beyond the obvious. While industries like animation and filmmaking have embraced AI with open arms, other fields like writing and fashion…