Team Spirit

Between the runways of Milan and blissful Siolim in Goa, long-time confidants and collaborators, model LAKSHMI MENON and designer SAVIO JON unpack their string of collaborations over the years, as well as a new one with photographer ASHISH SHAH

Lakshmi Menon: We had both just started in the industry when our paths crossed in 2000, and times were so different. Things were quite analogue; we experienced life through our travels. People would walk around and accidentally encounter things, be it a store, a gallery or a marketplace. How was it for you during those days?

Savio Jon: It was an organic progression for me as well. I left Goa for the big-city dream to gather work experience and meet the people that I work with now. I remember, for my first collection, at Lakme Fashion Week in 2006, Prabuddha [Dasgupta] and you came by the house and he said, “Let’s shoot.” We shot at my neighbour’s Portuguese-Goan style house and we wrapped up effortlessly in a few hours. When we first started, we were introduced to people with whom we bonded over similar styles of working. Even now, in the age of social media, it is still about meeting like-minded creatives that always makes me want to work on projects like our shoot.

LM: I remember. We were so naive, but driven to create something beautiful. It was us at your neighbour’s house, just shooting with a stack of newspapers and a bottle of vodka on the floor. In those days, you could get away with smoking a cigarette in your images as well.