CELEBRATING THE SKIN YOU'RE IN THE Vitiligo Way

As the sun rises on a new dawn of beauty, unrealistic societal standards are out. The act of embracing your natural self is a journey of effort, endurance, and celebrating the skin you're in. Setting the tone for an era of self-love and assurance, Varaa shines light on the new faces of fashion who strive to break barriers and reinvent the ideals of universal beauty.

Joining forces with iconic fashion and celebrity photographer Lucky Malhotra for the second time, Editor-in-Chief Sangeetha Kailash spearheads a vision that seeks to challenge convention and dispel the stigma around Vitiligo, an autoimmune skin condition that causes the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes), resulting in the emergence of macules across an individual’s various body parts. A widely misconceived disorder, it is noted to affect around one percent of the global population.

Taking centre-stage, the dynamic sandalwood actor-director Mahesh Gowda and the young Bangalore native Anusha Prakash AP are an image of contemporary glamour, armed with confidence and charm. Set against the deep and velvety interiors of The Royal Orchid Domlur, Mahesh dons a dapper checked Manoviraj Khosla suit, marked by an abstract floral finish. Clad in a low-cut satin evening gown, accentuated by a sleek thigh-slit from Tvarusstudio, Anusha is a picture of radiant optimism. Graced by a maximalist approach to makeup by Pooja Sethiya, an intricate arrangement of multi-toned rhinestones offers a glorious ombre-effect across her face and neck; complemented by a subtle, gelled bun.