I believe learning is a process that strengthens you. You never stop learning even if you’re a pro at your profession. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that just keep growing, don’t stop or restrict yourself, you’re no less than anyone out there. It’s not just for a stylist but everyone and if I specifically talk about being a stylist then it’s as blunt as you should have industry connections to get better work opportunities and a smooth journey, so just keep networking.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am from no fashion background and like any other family, my family also thought that what the hell am I going to do after spending so much money and of course nobody knows what a stylist does, my grandfather still thinks that I’m a fashion designer. It took me a lot of effort to convince them for letting me pursue this.
After this, It’s been an amazing journey with lots of learnings and a roller coaster ride, but it’s all worth it when you’re passionate about it. Considering that I was not great at academics in school, perhaps I was not confident enough to go to another city “Mumbai” at the age of 17 to study in a different environment and with all sorts of people.
But I know that I have to step out of my house if I’ve to grow in life and be a self-reliant woman. Coming to my college, thankfully people were not even that mean how I assumed them to be. It was a fun journey with uncountable sleepless nights because you’ve to work and not just dress up and go to college. People think that we don’t have written exams that means we don’t have a serious curriculum and anything to do. But let me tell you, that we’ve juries where there’s no capacity to cheat and you’ve to present your work and explain it.
For me the journey has never stopped, I’ve not even achieved 10% of my goal yet and there’s much more to do in life. But it’s not that in search of more I forget what I have right now, I appreciate the small wins. I’m happy to be a self-independent woman since the age of 19. I would like to encourage everyone who is passionate about this to just go for it, don’t be scared, work hard and I promise that you won’t regret it ever.
2. When did you first decide to create Digital Content and how did you start?
I’m a big overthinker, so It took a while to take this step and have a public profile where every other person will judge you and have an opinion about you. I initially started it in 2018, during my college time but I wasn’t consistent enough to have a good build-up profile and I’d a time constraint too. Then I started it again last year in the lockdown, by that time I’d better time management skills.
I could take out time from college and my office work and give content creation the time it needed because it’s something that I love to do. Being a stylist, I enjoy styling myself more than styling anyone else. I developed my interest in content creation when in 2018 the influencer market was taking heights and that’s when I realized that I can be a good fit for this because as I said I like to style myself.
I started with posting the pictures that I used to shoot for my college projects and then I used to do a set up in my room to shoot pictures and gradually I bought some basic equipment like a background strand, ring light and clicking remote which is an investment of around 6-7k and it’s not a waste if you continue to use it and it’s been a big help for me because I shoot my content on my own as I don’t have a team for now.
Today’s digital platforms have given us a great opportunity to showcase our talent and share the knowledge that we’ve and it doesn’t have to be theoretical or academic knowledge. Everybody has a different forte and there’s a space for all to come out.
3. How and where do you find inspiration to churn out content?
There are a lot of areas from where you can get your inspiration and it just doesn’t have to be a digital platform. Talking about finding inspirations, Instagram itself is a great platform with different kinds of content, so you do get inspired by various art forms, cultures, heritage, and communities. Other than that, I’m a big-time Pinterest person.
I love to have a Pinterest board ready every time and work accordingly. I like to work in a process by first collecting reference images, have a mood board and an inspiration board, because you should know beforehand what you want to do. The process will make it easy for you to work systematically.
4. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?
The idea of success is different for all. For some people, it’s about money, and for some, it's about a better lifestyle. I believe you’re successful if you’ve achieved a sense of inner peace. I’ll consider myself successful when I’ll wake up every day with a smile, because no matter how much money you have or how luxurious your life is, but you won’t be able to enjoy it if you are not happy inside.
Of course, it’s not that I don’t want money or luxurious life, I do want it but with good mental health. Similarly, my mantra in life is nothing fancy, it’s as simple as loving yourself, celebrating small wins, appreciating what you’ve, and living in the present.
5. What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned while being a stylist?
I believe learning is a process that strengthens you. You never stop learning even if you’re a pro at your profession. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that just keep growing, don’t stop or restrict yourself, you’re no less than anyone out there. It’s not just for a stylist but everyone and if I specifically talk about being a stylist then it’s as blunt as you should have industry connections to get better work opportunities and a smooth journey, so just keep networking.
6. Do you have any tips for people who want to join this field?
Hard work and confidence are a few of the most important factors you’ve to keep in mind. Just a reality check, it’s not a fancy party as it looks. Styling is not just about dressing up, it takes tons of hard work to be out there. You’ve to be passionate enough to be a stylist because there’s no place if you don't work hard.
You should have an in-depth understanding and knowledge about any project that you take up, as research is a must in whatever you do. Lastly, I would like you to take up every opportunity as it comes, nothing is small or big, and every experience matters.
Akshita Dangi - Stylist & Image Designer
Interviewed By: Farhana Khatoon
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