Photographs by Ashish Shah
Styling by Kshitij Kankaria
11°54′57.8304″ N, 79°48′44.3700″ E Pondicherry, India
“For centuries, indigo dye has been synonymous with India. With a monopoly over the color blue, India prospered from the trade of indigo dyes. But indigo has a dark colonial past, brought on by the harsh conditions farmers were subjected to at the hands of the East India Company. The indigo farmers’ revolt of 1859 marked a first in the country’s freedom struggle. Today, as the world grapples with questions about sustainability in fashion, I turned to organic indigo, a revered symbol of Indian craftsmanship. The models are wearing clothes from Naushad Ali’s environmentally conscious indigo line and woven fabric scraps.” Ashish Shah
Clothing (throughout) Naushad Ali Makeup Riviera Lynn Talent Andrea Kevichusa, Neil Varel, and Tejal Patil (Anima Creative Management), Rashmi Mannand, Brandon Ferreira Photography assistant Abhishek Rao
This story first appeared in Atmos Volume 02: Latitude.
Latitude traces the lines that connect cultures around the world, from globalization and international efforts to stall the effects of climate change to personal freedom and the refugee crisis. The new issue features contributions from acclaimed screenwriter and actor Brit Marling, award-winning journalist Behrouz Boochani, and visionary photographers including Jamie Hawkesworth, Charlie Engman, Pierre Debusschere, Max Farago, and more.
Freedom: India
Freedom: India
