Backstage with Blur the Border

Vinita Makhija has taken up the baton of spotlighting and documenting India’s rich history with textiles as well as our legacy craftsmanship. She worked for nearly a decade at editorial publications as a fashion stylist and creative director. Now, she still wears these hats while balancing her time as a writer and editor. 

In this penultimate episode of the podcast, Vinita tells Surbhi about her beginnings in the fashion industry (00:57), how she found her visual language (4:39), about her extensive travels through India documenting Indian textiles (6:35), and a very compelling segue into ideas as currency (14:25). We pivot to Vinita's pick of homegrown labels (24:50) in the second half of the episode, ending with our AMA on staying inspired and her thoughts on the role of social media in this industry (34:26). 

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Find Vinita's pick of homegrown labels here: https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-vinita-makhija-fashion-stylist-and-writer/

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Aastha Sharma hasn’t been afraid to follow her gut and take the leap when she feels inclined to it. Today, the role of a fashion stylist is a necessity but back when it was still hiding in obscurity, is when Aastha decided to explore this new space. In a way, she’s been at the forefront of the growth of this industry and has seen it evolve over the years, as she has made her mark across the entire styling gamut. She’s worked as an editorial stylist, a costume designer and a celebrity stylist. Today she’s the founder of two companies - Wardobist and the Wedding Style Project. 

In this episode, Aastha opens up to Surbhi about her decision to join the fashion industry (00:45), how she founded the Wardrobist (4:04), styling Aishwarya Rai Bachan for Cannes (5:18), her foray into styling for web series (7:43), and her tips on managing work as a stylist while raising a family (10:55). As always, in the second half of the episode we tease out Aastha’s go-to homegrown labels (17:14), her insights into the future of homegrown labels in India (21:57), and the AMA from the Blur the Border team (24:59). 

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Find Aastha's pick of homegrown labels across categories here: https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-aastha-sharma-film-wedding-stylist/

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Through a career in PR, Shreeja Rajgopal was introduced to the world of fashion styling and decided to take the leap and become a stylist. Soon, she landed her first gig, working with Alia Bhatt. As an outsider in the field, she began learning the ropes on the job, gaining confidence with each project. Now, over a decade later, she has worked with multiple celebrities including Mithila Palkar, Masaba Gupta, Sayani Gupta, and Chitrangada Sing. 

In the 7th episode of Backstage with Blur the Border, Shreeja opens up to Surbhi about her switch from PR to fashion styling (0:49), her role as a wedding stylist and the inception of her own venture, Draping Dreams (6:12) and on setting standards for fair pay in the industry (11:09). In the second half of the episode, Shreeja shares her pick of homegrown labels (15:45), her thoughts on memorable collaborations, as well as those she hopes to see in the future (21:22), culminating with our AMA from the Blur the Border team (24:46). 

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

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Find the full list of Shreeja's go-to homegrown labels here: https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-shreeja-rajagopal-stylist/

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Talent, a sense of humor, and honesty is how we would describe Divyak D’souza. Divyak is a stylist, costume designer, and the host of Say Yes to the Dress India. He has worked with GQ, Elle, Femina and has been the Fashion Director for Harper’s Bazaar India. In his work as a stylist, he has been behind the looks of Kareena Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, and Tabu. 

In this episode, Divyak talks to us about how his foray into fashion was serendipitous (0:45), the difference between styling for ad campaigns and editorial shoots as well as his approach to celebrity styling (7:36), on dealing with criticism (17:14), and advice for those who are just starting out (22:35). As always, we dive into the homegrown segment where Divyak tells us about his go-to labels (24:47), wrapping it up with our AMA (37:14), where we discuss trends Divyak predicts for the industry as well as his love for Asha Bhosle.

Tune in to a really fun yet insightful episode of Backstage with Blur the Border. 

For the full list of Divyak's go-to homegrown labels, visit https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-divyak-dsouza-stylist-and-costume-designer/

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

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As a celebrity stylist, Anisha Jain believes that her work should enable the celebrities she works with to be true to who they are. For Anisha, the world of fashion was always on her radar - she began working in the industry at the age of 18, her first job was assisting designer Kunal Rawal. Since then, she’s found her voice as a celebrity stylist having worked with Shahid Kapoor and Rajkumar Rao.

In this episode, Anisha takes us through the defining moment in her career (1:54), the difference between styling younger vs established actors (4:28), her process and approach to work (6:29), on hiring and building her team (10:56), and how she deals with the demands of the job (13:50). In the second half of the episode, we feature our signature segment where we spotlight homegrown brands (16:46) wrapping it up with the Blur the Border AMA (21:08). 

To find the full list of Anisha's go-to homegrown labels, visit https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-anisha-jain-celebrity-stylist/

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

As always, thank you for tuning in! We have a lot more in store for you. 

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For Isha Bhansali, menswear styling was not part of the plan. Her roots lie in editorial styling. To this extent, she begins each project today with a moodboard – using it as a north star for the looks she curates on the celebrities she works with. Most notable is her work with Ayushman Khurana, whom she’s been styling on the regular from the time they began working together. 

In this episode, Isha talks about her days as an editorial stylist (1:11), how celebrity styling differs from editorial styling (3:50), and how menswear styling happened for her (9:24). Later in the episode, she speaks about over-sourcing as a pitfall of this industry (13:20), and of course, we fish for Isha’s go-to homegrown labels but this time (16:39), with a focus on her menswear picks! We conclude with Isha’s very pertinent advice for those starting out in the industry (26:01). 

For the full list of homegrown labels recommended by Isha, head to https://blurtheborder.com/unblur/backstage-with-isha-bhansali-celebrity-menswear-stylist/

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

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Prayag Menon’s work is distinct yet minimal, bold but subtle. As a creative director and editorial stylist, he creates visual identities that linger and resonate. You’ll notice this in his work for brands such as Gunam Beauty, Aroka, Popley Eternal, and for publications such as Vogue, Elle, and Verve, and Harper’s Bazaar.

In this third edition of the podcast, we learn about Prayag’s journey from pilot to self-taught stylist and art director (00:58), how he honed his aesthetic (4:32), his collaborations with his partner and photographer, Porus Vimadalal (8:25) and his thoughts on Indian fashion taking the stage globally (18:18). 

We have new episodes for you each week. Follow this show to stay updated when episode 4 drops. 

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

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What does it mean to be a celebrity fashion stylist? We often consume the final looks curated by stylists on social media but behind these looks is a process and approach that marries an actor’s personal style with looks that complement and elevate.

Meagan Concessio is a master at this, particularly in her work with young Bollywood. She has been behind the looks of Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Pandey, and Tara Sutaria, among others. In this episode, she speaks to Surbhi about what the job of a stylist entails (4:50), the inflection point in her career as a stylist (6:39), dealing with criticism in this field (9:22), and of course, our signature Blur the Border segment where Meagan tell us about her go-to homegrown labels (13:10), wrapping it up with a short AMA (25:05).

We have new episodes for you each week. Follow this show to stay updated when a new episode drops. 

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

Thanks for listening!

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For Eka Lakhani, fashion is a medium for communicating stories. This finds its roots in her experience as a costume designer for films and web series. But it also translates to her role as a stylist, in the looks she curates for the actors she works with.  

In this first episode of Backstage with BTB, we dive deep into both her work as a costume designer and stylist (1:12) and how she started her styling company Team E (11:11). She speaks about the demands of the job and the need to slow down (14:33) and finally, we move into our signature Blur the Border segment, where Eka and Surbhi discuss the growth of homegrown labels (20:55), and what’s to come as Indian fashion takes the stage globally (26:45). 

We have new episodes for you each week. Follow this show to stay updated when a new episode drops.

Thanks for listening! 

For more visit https://blurtheborder.com/

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Here’s a sneak peek into Backstage with Blur the Border. Hear from some of India’s leading fashion stylists on their perspective of the industry, homegrown labels they’ve come to love, collaborations they think need to happen, and how it all began for them! 

Episode 1 drops very soon! Make sure to follow the podcast to be notified when it drops. 

To discover more, head to: https://blurtheborder.com/ or find us on Instagram @blurtheborder_ 

Reach out to us at hello@blurtheborder.com

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