ELIXIR
DARK IS BEAUTIFUL
​It is no news to us that darker-complexioned people are constantly patronized, the degree of which differs from culture to culture across the world. The ‘Dark Is Beautiful' campaign was started in 2009, by Women Of Worth, a non-profit based in India, as an awareness and advocacy campaign to fight colourism. In our August issue we take inspiration from this compelling campaign and present our take on it in an attempt to empower all our audience who have been wronged by the vices of racism and encourage them to resist. Beyond this too, we have in store a real head-turner for all. Our business section offers interesting anecdotes in a journey through the land of fashion merchandising and our shopping sheriff is sure to make you stop and stare at the wide range of clothes treasured in our closet, exclusively curated for you!
THE PANDEMIC ISSUE
​The September issue brings forth you all the recurring challenges in a more vividly possible way due to Pandemic.
Since the beginning of 2020 when Coronavirus first gave its appearance in India, it gave us a clear indication about the seriousness of the issue we’d be facing and here we are today, nine months since the outbreak, grappling with numerous problems. One of them being it’s impact on the fashion industry. We are all aware about the massiveness of word as we speak of fashion. Fashion industry has taken a hard hit due to Covid as the stores get closed down, shows getting cancelled to slow the spread which has set in motion the decline of various trends that were picking up early this year to completely different change in trends. Although the closure of physical stores has led people to indulge more in online shopping, it still doesn’t retain the uniqueness and originality of what fashion in general represented. It has affected our social environment, workplaces, offices and business. It’s only in time that we can reverse what future in these domains hold and whether we can come out of this with better alternative plans which are already set to motion.
THE FESTIVE ISSUE
Seasons' greetings!
With the onset of the holiday seasons and our favourite time of the year, our October'20 production presents to you our Festive Issue with a dream to spread happiness, celebration, hope and collective sparks of reds and yellows to spill over your pandemic blues.
With ambitions for a hopeful future post-pandemic, this season brings with it a time of faith, belief and optimism and colours, so many, that we could paint and paint until the distance between here and moon is a string of sparkling lights and the cracks in the earth are filled with molten stories of love & hope.
It is, however,also the time to reflect and react to the excessive amount of waste generated by us and learn more about the importance of sustainability and slow fashion. In these very anticipations, Elixir is excited to present its Festive issue for you to sit back and enjoy the newest trends from the world of ethnic clothing and stories of joy and revival amid the festivities.
THE ANDROGYNOUS ISSUE
In a patriarchal society, we are taught that the default body is masculine. This implies that masculinity is unmarked, whereas feminity is an addition to this form. This dynamic manifests into the androgynous space, so often just defaulting what is celebrated as 'gender-neutral' into masculine form & aesthetics, and drab colours. It is neglectful to divide billions of people into 2 categories. Fashion is a celebration of expression, & aesthetics is a form of communication to the world. Gender-binary is an obstacle to creativity, limits self-expression, and confines imagination. Clothes should mean what we want them to mean, not the other way 'round. Articles of clothing do not have a gender. They become gendered as a part of a social & political process of creating the Western gender-binary. This is a scathing indictment of how society has indoctrinated us into means.
We are proud to be a part of a generation, thinking outside the rubric of gender, challenging mainstream fashion & how the rhetoric of artifice is another home where patriarchy lives; not by trying to establish new trends, but rather by demonstrating inclusivity-- there is no one way to be a woman/man/non-binary- only your way & beauty is looking like yourself.
Androgynous artistry is whitewashed from history, evacuated from sermons, the schools, and the streets. With this, we take a step forward to de-gender fashion & hold these industries accountable for upholding regressive & harmful gender binary stereotypes.
When all the glitter settles, we aim to create a world where every article of clothing is for anyone who wants to wear it, one where people can determine what their clothes mean to them.
When our spirits transcend the visual, your body belongs to you, not others' projections.
THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE
For years, I was obsessed with buying clothes,” says Snezhina Piskova. “I would buy 10 pairs of very cheap jeans just for the sake of having more diversity in my wardrobe for a low price, even though I ended up wearing only two or three of them.”
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When it comes to resisting the lure of fashion, Piskova faces a tough challenge just like most of us. However, it’s time, we start realizing that it's important to find pieces that you can be proud to wear again and again; that still meet your sophisticated lifestyle when you make a commitment. Sustainability has become a buzzword in recent years, turning a few heads. Just as we consumers are looking carefully at the food we consume and the chemicals we put into our bodies today, we also need to make a shift in our purchasing decisions to create a cleaner environment through the clothes we wear.
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In the last five years, the environmental impact of the fashion industry has been under spotlight, and many companies and brands have therefore been pushed to make commitments to become more sustainable. As sustainability soars up the agendas of fashion’s big brands and retailers, Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) and their influence is ever more important. The pressure is mounting on them to enforce change in an industry that could be culpable for accounting for a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050.
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To create a truly ethical and sustainable future for fashion, we need to promote consciousness for the most pressing issues facing the fashion industry. It's important that we start realizing how mainstream fashion and how artifice needs to be made sustainable; there's no other way out. It’s time we acknowledge that aesthetics are important, but so are ethics.
THE
PANACHE
ISSUE
Fest season brings with itself excitement, chaos, and the vague but distinct promise of memories that stay for a lifetime. But beyond the stage, hidden under the lights and the smoke, the glitter, and the glamour- lies a painstaking amount of attention to every detail. Photoshoots under the sun, endless promotional activities, sponsorship proposal drafts, and practice. Lots and lots of practice.
Come with us, as we take you through every activity that links together like a chain leading up to the final event when it's showtime- and how it feels to witness everything taking shape to promise an event you will never forget. The exhilaration and the adrenaline of facing the audience leaves behind a giddy aftertaste that the pandemic may have threatened to spoil- but we're back- and like always, we're going all out. In this issue, we escort you behind the curtain to witness fest season in all its glory like never before. It's an unforgettable experience- one we value and cherish, and we can't wait to share our journey with you.
THE
PANACHE
ISSUE
Fest season brings with itself excitement, chaos, and the vague but distinct promise of memories that stay for a lifetime. But beyond the stage, hidden under the lights and the smoke, the glitter, and the glamour- lies a painstaking amount of attention to every detail. Photoshoots under the sun, endless promotional activities, sponsorship proposal drafts, and practice. Lots and lots of practice.
Come with us, as we take you through every activity that links together like a chain leading up to the final event when it's showtime- and how it feels to witness everything taking shape to promise an event you will never forget. The exhilaration and the adrenaline of facing the audience leaves behind a giddy aftertaste that the pandemic may have threatened to spoil- but we're back- and like always, we're going all out. In this issue, we escort you behind the curtain to witness fest season in all its glory like never before. It's an unforgettable experience- one we value and cherish, and we can't wait to share our journey with you.
AN
ESCAPIST'S
REALM
Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.” – Alexander McQueen
‘Escapism’ is a concept that all of us embrace by engaging in recreation or embarking onto a fantasy world whenever we need relief from the harsh and mundane reality. It is a beautiful concept with a variety of methods available to access it – some of us dance, some sing, some throw themselves into a heap of paintbrushes and canvases. This helps us keep our mental health in check and provides us with much-needed breaks to clear our head, so that we can heal properly and be ready to face our problems head-on back in the real world. However, escapism as a concept can have a negative ring to it as well. If we get too comfortable in our charming fantasies, transitioning back to reality might get much more difficult, and we might lose ourselves and our sense of who we are, what we're meant to be, and reality in general.
Fashion has always been known as a way to express, but a good dose of glam couture can help you escape your simplistic, mundane reality as well. While at-home loungewear as well as fancy pyjama sets have become a part of massive trends, yearning for holidays in the middle of a pandemic has created a need for escapism through fashion like never before. Dressing up in beach-inspired looks or elegant evening gowns gives us a breath of fresh air by making us feel like we’re at an outing or on a holiday, even if we’re not. In this issue, we take you with us on a journey where we indulge in a plethora of online shopping and ‘dressing up and staying in’, a concept that didn’t exist until 2019. As we dress up with nowhere to go, we hope you will join us in our little fantasy escapade, where the choice of venue and the dress code is entirely up to your imagination. Countless possibilities exist, and we intend to enjoy them all.
EMBRACING
INDIAN
ESSENCE
India is a diverse country, a fact that is visibly prominent in its people, culture and climate. Indians tend to have a strong sense of pride in the distinctiveness and diversity of their culture. Indian cultural heritage exemplifies the vibrant medley of people here who belong to different traditions, religions, culture, customs, cuisines, and languages. All in all, we can call India a melting pot of different moral values, cultures and traditions.
The Indian textile industry shimmers like Kohinoor in it's vivid legacy and rich traditional heritage. It comes up with some of the most entrancing and ravishing colours, patterns and textures. The Banarasi silk of Varanasi brings out the godly side of a woman,the phulkari of Punjab makes the wearer as unique as a rainbow in the sky and chikankari of Lucknow is a textile that leaves you in awe of it's beauty. The Indian Textiles are nothing less than a conglomeration of dexterous craftsmanship, organic thought and sheer pulchritude. India, a land ruled by a myriad of dynasties, was bound to become an unique one and that influence can easily be seen on the nature of textiles created across Jammu and Kashmir to the Kanyakumari region of Southern India. With Indian textiles getting more and more recognition on the global stage, the industry holds huge potential, waiting to be unleashed. Indian ace designers understand the intrinsic value of the Indian craftsmanship. The association of Indian designers and small craftsmen assures the authenticity and perpetuity of India's rich cultural heritage.This month's issue of Elixir Life Magazine tries to delve into the various facets of Indian textiles to understand what imparts a unique authenticity and unicity to the plethora of Indian Textiles available and their craftsmanship.
SUMMER
EDITION
Every new season creates a change in our collective style. The move from one season to the next always has a huge impact on how we think and feel. We make adjustments to the way we look based on the weather conditions and our environment. But of course, seasons influence more than just our dress sense and outlook; the change of seasons affects our entire culture. We’re always changing the way we do things in response to new seasons. There’s been various studies and research on how seasons affect our mood. Studies have shown that activity in the brain is at its best during the summer months and, unsurprisingly, at its worst during the winter. But what does this say about consumer behaviour in the fashion industry and beyond? Well, because we’re normally in a better mood during the summer and the sunshine tends to make us more outgoing, we often spend more money in summer than we do during colder periods of the year. The summer season then leads to an increase in demand for many items, including clothing. Consider the cultural history of the hippie movement, which remains a strong influence in today’s fashion. “The summer of love, 1967, how could we forget it?” The fashion focuses on romantic and soft fabrics, peasant blouses and flared jeans, tie-dye and embroidered folk dresses, most of which could and would be made by amateurs. Summer is at its peak and we all want to wear cool breezy flowing clothes. Prioritizing comfort, we also want to look chic enough to impress all the time. Our wardrobes are definitely in need of a refresher midway through the season. Head right towards the edition to find our take on summer fashion and what it means for the fashion industry.
FASHION
ACTIVISM
The Fashion industry has never been just about the clothes you wear, or how you look. It's about empowerment, about proving that sometimes statements don't have to be made- they can be worn. Our history is replete with instances where people engaged in resistance through what they wore. From wearing Khadi during the Swadeshi Movement, to holding placards supporting equality down the runway for Chanel- Fashion has time and time again reflected, represented and spotlighted various issues plaguing our world. In this issue, we've highlighted many visionaries in the industry and outside it who chose to advocate for change on and off the runway. We've also talked about performative activism, highlighting instances of hypocrisy in the face of abject capitalism. With this issue, we seek to reinstate that fashion was, and never will be apolitical. It's a medium that holds the power to change lives.
REVISING FASHION BASICS
Each year hundreds of thousands of students graduate with fashion-related degrees, regardless of whether they are interested in garment technology, pattern design, fashion photography, or fashion marketing and PR. It’s brilliant to have so many options but at the same time, it can be exceedingly difficult to unpack what each of them entails. In any case, planning careers in fashion enables both students and other individuals interested in joining the fashion industry to prepare for their prosperous careers.
The diversity of careers available in the fashion industry is rapidly expanding, opening up a whole new world of vocations to contemplate. At the same time, breaking into the fashion industry can be notoriously difficult for newly qualified graduates and young self-taught designers due to the high number of students graduating each year and the competitive nature of the fashion industry. If you recently graduated or are still studying, you might be wondering how to acquire this preliminary experience and how to construct a solid career in the fashion industry because of the numerous courses offered worldwide to people with ambitions to study and join the fashion industry. The Elixir Magazine presents to you our next issue- 'Revisiting Fashion Basics', including everything you need to know about how to start a career in the fashion industry.