The Others

In Vogue: Vikram Kushwah

Fair devotees will recognise Vikram Kushwah‘s evocative photography from our inaugural edition at the Bargehouse in 2011. Since then, this rising star has not only exhibited at the fair throughout the years but also worked on commissions for major publications and fashion houses including recent editorials for Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar India. He was also the 2013 Bronze winner, Cannes Young Lions Award for best photography.

Here we sit down with Vikram to discuss his recent shoot for Vogue India March 2015.

“I have never shot in such a tranquil and gorgeous location before. This is a tree house resort called The Machan (Hindi word for a tree house), about a two hour drive from the city of Mumbai. Every tree house is a self contained dwelling separated by nothing but forest. It feels like you’re all alone in this beautiful haven.”

“It took us a day of recce where we identified the spots we wanted to take the pictures in, based on the time of the day and consequently the direction of sunlight. It’s a fashion story about all things yellow so of course the colours of the surroundings were a major factor as well. And then a day of shooting from dawn to dusk.”

“This was a very simple colour story. The brief was ‘yellow’ for the spring of 2015. Just ‘yellow’ to begin with – as if living in a world of saffron, marigold, lemon and straw, complimented by hues of green and brown. This was to be married with my personal artistic style, which has always had elements of whimsy and daydream, something that I’ve borrowed from the romantics and the surrealists. I always strive to achieve a fine balance between fashion and art. I worked with an incredible team from Vogue – the art director, the fashion stylist and the production manager who gave us this beautiful location and such a fresh model and makeup artist.”

Images: Vikram Kushwah for Vogue India