REBEL CODE

Seasoned stylist and creative consultant, Ekta Rajani is an ‘explorer’ (as she hesitantly calls herself ) for relatively conscious consumption in the fashion scene today. However, by her admission, the process of understanding the importance of and making cleaner choices was, and continues to be, a complex one. She pens her sartorial journey thus far while spotlighting some value in thrift, slower-made, and upcycled styles, through this visual essay

- Ekta Rajani

My journey with fashion began on a typical note – a teenager looking to express herself through style. I started off with designing ready-to-wear and bridalwear for retail brands and private clients before joining the styling team of a film. Next came editorial styling. Here, I worked with both global trends and domestic styles for over a decade. I was, and still am, eager to discover new and detailed aspects of design. As much for a personal understanding of beauty, appreciation for aesthetics as for their social currency.

LIFESTYLE IN PROGRESS

As activists started bringing to the forefront, the troublesome back-end of the fashion business, I felt compelled to read up some about it - our consumer behavior, industry impact, design footprints, and other previously overlooked aspects of the industry. The last decade has been replete with conversations about wastage in design, production, and consumption, the rise in harmful materials being used in lifestyle amongst many drawbacks – all of which detrimentally pollute the planet and harm its people, both inside and outside the world of fashion design.