Powerful photo series breaks gender stereotypes

The project was conceptualised around six months ago when Bhagath Kumar and Archana Aarthi started discussing how certain clothes are associated with a man and certain with women. Model portfolio shots had men either sporting boring suits or showing off their bare-chested body. They just couldn’t understand how fashion could be set into gender stereotypes. It was this conversation that laid the foundation of a photo-series, I Mean It. 

“After shooting numerous portfolios for male and female models, we realised how deep are notions of gender stereo-typing set in our system. Since childhood we are taught that boys should wear this and girls should wear this. We wanted to start a conversation about how one need not stick to conventions,” says Bhagath, founder of Makka Studios. The 12-part photo series featuring model Dhanish Krishna is being hailed for its bold concept and great aesthetics across social media. 

“We have so often heard the idiom, ‘Clothes make the man’. But we believe that is not entirely true. Fashion is all about attitude and not about what clothes or accessories you wear. It is important to carry what you are wearing with certain elan. Gender stereotyping is so prevalent, when it comes to fashion. We wanted to explore beyond the accepted notions and blur the lines. Interestingly, all the clothes and accessories that the model sports in the photos are mine,” says Archana Aarthi. 

She also shares how unlike most models she has worked with, Dhanish was absolutely sporting and went with the flow, when she was styling him for the series. To this Bhagath also adds, “Our biggest worry was that the series should not look vulgar. We wanted to drive home our message and maintain the aesthetics. 

Looks like, we managed to do so. Initially, we had not really planned to take the series to a large section of the population. We just did it for starting a conversation. But seeing the overwhelming response from all, we are really planning to take it to a larger audience.”