Chennai’s fashion scene was set abuzz recently when blogger Tanitha Pereira teamed up with Ranjani Ramakrishnan, who had embraced her vitiligo (a skin condition characterised by portions of the skin losing their pigment) and blogged about it, along with a stunning photoshoot on the occasion of #WorldVitiligoDay. The recent Milan Men’s Fashion Week also witnessed models dotted with acne and blemishes walking the ramp. Clearly, fashion brands are progressing in the right direction — one of accepting one’s own body and breaking artificial standards of ‘ideal beauty’.
Fashion blogger Tanitha Pereira, who did the photoshoot with Ranjani, says, “She is very beautiful on her own. The idea that ‘imperfection is beautiful’ is getting wide attention. Ranjani was initially uncomfortable, but got the hang of it later. To me, it wasn’t just a photo shoot; I could make a difference in someone else’s life.”
Ranjani Ramakrishnan, who is a college student in the city, says, “Before Tanitha came to me with a request, another senior had approached me for a photo shoot, but I had said no. I was very apprehensive and scared to show off my skin patches. I always covered them with jeans and high-neck dresses. My friends persuaded me, and once the shoot was done, I became confident. I used to swim as a child, but stopped at the age of 11 when I got vitilego. After the shoot, I went on an island hopping trip to Thailand with my family. and happily swam there.”
She reveals that a very big transition happened to her — “Though I’m used to it, I was a bit hesitant to show off my skin patches. This photoshoot was a real boost for me and saved me.” She says with confidence, “If you want others to accept your flaws, do it yourself first. People will stare, but make it worth their while.”
Actress Sai Pallavi, who became an overnight sensation with her debut film Premam, says that she became confident after the film’s release. “All thanks to my director Alphonse Putharen; he said that I looked beautiful with my pimples. I feel unbelievably confident after the film’s release. These pimples are not bothering me anymore! He was very confident in me and gave me all the encouragement. If you have blemishes or some other skin problem, just be yourself,” she says, adding, “Earlier, I tried really hard to get rid of my pimples — Ayurveda and some home remedies too — but gave up later and realised that it was no more a big deal!”
Stylist-designer Prajanya Anand says that the society’s mentality needs to change. “Society has fixed notions on how a model or an actor should look like. Though things are changing now in fashion circuit, people should be more perceptive about it,” she explains. However, change is happening — slowly, but indeed surely — and credit is due to some. This Chennai-based photographer is game for experimentation, and is getting attention locally and internationally. Ganesh Toasty, who does concept-based photography every month, was in the news of doing a photo shoot with transgender model Lemuel Huffman. “I love to break rules and though it is risky, that’s what I look forward. Unlike before, these days’ fashion designers are open to experiment and I could say that fashion ideologies are changing in the city,” he says and adds, “Nobody cares about acne or plus-size images anymore. Just be confident, be well-groomed, and ready for the call!” Well, this gives an all-new dimension to beauty and outlook in fashion circles. Keep your fingers crossed for more experiments and bold attempts!
