An interview with Carmel Mary, an international student from India studying her MA in Journalism at Brighton University.
The fashion industry has a global impact and differs from culture to culture. The western world has become accustomed to the ever-changing trends and celebrates the freedom that fashion gives people. Although in some cultures, the celebration of fashion hasn't developed as far.
I spoke to Carmel Mary, a Journalism MA student who specialises in fashion, who talked about how different the stigma surrounding the fashion industry is in India compared to the UK and her experience with fashion.
Q. What inspired you to go into fashion?
A. I'm obsessed with colour and colour pallets; I am an artist I love drawing. I started segregating it into fashion and gardening because I could see colour in both places.
Q. Where do you see fashion five years from now?
A. Much more about sustainability and digitisation because people are now finding their own trends instead of following others or what brands have created. People want more customised clothes, creating their trends, and digitisation has opened a gateway to showcase their own personal style to the world.
Q. What have you found different about the fashion industry in England compared to India?
A. In India, sustaining a career in the fashion industry is challenging as it is in England because, in India, fashion photographers are not supported, and are treated as if they are doing a crime.
In India, they don't have sex education, and they are not open-minded; if a guy is doing a photo shoot, it's not easy for him to get a model because the model themselves will blame and criticise the photographer, saying that he is looking at her in a wrong way, but he is looking at art. It's now getting better it is still facing a lot of troubles.
Q. What is lifelike for a model in India?
A. Modelling in India overall is very tough; it's not easy to get a chance, even if they are elidable, due to the stigma surrounding the modelling industry. They are typically looked down upon as it is entirely misunderstood.
Q. What would you say to the British fashion industry to make them more aware of what it's like in India?
A. In the UK, you have proper education about what you're doing and the freedom to make a choice. However, in India, if a girl or guy is getting into the fashion industry, they are often ill-treated. If girls dress in sleeveless tops and expose their midriff or wear revealing clothes, it is looked down upon, they don't understand that it is style, so it's not embraced. It needs to be improved.
I want to represent my photographer who did my photoshoot, Ramesh D Illakiyan. He is a fashion photographer in India who has now been recognised as the best photographer by Luminex India. However, his wife divorced him because she didn't accept his career. People don't understand that field of work; this is what's happening in India, it is ridiculous, but it is because of the lack of education.
Click here to find out more about Carmen’s photographer, Ramesh D Illakiyan and his work.
All images credited to Ramesh D Illakiyan
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