Swaraj, A Reclamation

Swaraj is a reclamation of identity — the freedom to be who one wants, to dress as one chooses, the freedom from performance and existence on one’s own terms. The red is a symbol of courage and reclaimed power after loss. The banana leaves and marigold create a frame of celebration and the saree, a traditionally gendered garment draped across a male body reimagines the concept of freedom. It could also be a reinterpretation of the 1920s garçonne look through an Indian lens. The jewellery and alta add elements of excess and maximalism. After darkness, comes daylight — where the body no longer hides but fully inhabits itself in its truest form of self-expression.

​

Photography Kaushik Roy 

Styling Ila Tyagi 
Muse Rochinshu Sharma 

HMU Ila Tyagi, Rochishnu Sharma