VOGUE India December 2022

I LOVE THIS image of star cricketer Smriti Mandhana on our December cover. You can almost hear “Jana Gana Mana” echoing around a stadium as the opening batter and right-arm off-break spinner stands tall like she’s lined up pre-match, chest full of pride. Our December cover star is the epitome of a sports hero; cool and calm, never one to indulge in overtly flashy displays of emotion. Aside from being the poster woman for cricket, she is the kind of role model that young people, especially young women the world over, need right now. Let’s face it—cricket has been a man’s world, and the recent move by the BCCI this October to ensure an equal match fee for both male and female players was a long time coming. However, there…

BIKRAMJIT BOSE A graduate of the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bose has shot numerous fashion stories, from Vogue covers to Sabyasachi campaigns. For our December cover, he lenses Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana in strong, structured silhouettes that speak to her defining qualities as a sportswoman. Page 56 BANDANA TEWARI A lifestyle journalist and sustainability activist, Tewari speaks on mindfulness in the luxury business alongside writing extensively on a variety of topics including the indigenous ‘made-by-hand’ economies of India and Indonesia, and queer representation in fashion. In ‘The hills are alive’, she talks to the brains behind Amsterdam-based clothing label Zazi Vintage. Page 74 Justine Rae Mellocastro For Mumbai-based Mellocastro, hair is a spiritual medium of self-expression. Over 14 years, she has worked with a number of A-list celebrities, magazines and brands in the…

Brighter days Champagne-hued silks, bright topaz bags and sleek amber skirts—the colours of the sky at sunset make for an eye-catching wardrobe Patterns of change Old-school chinoiserie and kitschy tapestry patterns to inspire a retro revival in your wardrobe City girl Running errands around town? Pack just the essentials in a two-tone Hermès cross-body bag Eau d’Orient Escapism at its best comes infused in heady notes of musk and fresh mogra, scents that evoke a bygone era Platinum record Dressed up or down, a tray full of chrome trinkets will tighten up your attire Going brogue Sandy shades in sumptuous textures will keep you on your toes for miles on end ON NANDINI: KURTA, DUPATTA; BOTH FABINDIA. TROUSERS, ROHIT GANDHI + RAHUL KHANNA. ASSISTED BY: SHALINI KANOJIA (STYLING). ON NANDINI: DUPATTA (WORN AS TOP), FABINDIA. TROUSERS, HERMÈS. ON NANDINI: BLUE SHIRT, JAYPORE.…

Divine femininity, body politics and a quest for tranquillity are all subjects that interpret Dior’s legacy bag for what will be its seventh generation. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s homage to Dior’s most classically known iteration is a year-on-year tradition of the Dior Lady Art project. It’s a testament to its long-standing popularity, enjoyed by enthusiasts across the globe. But more than its success, Chiuri has established the French luxury house as an entity that is sincere in its celebration of innovative thinking—whether politically or creatively derived. The project answers that quality by providing carte blanche access to artists across the world over the classic Lady Dior bag. This year, 11 of them reinterpret the top-handle with their own designs that filter in thoughts, forward-thinking ideals and a sensitivity that is clearly…

For seven years, Lovebirds by Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh has fashioned the beauty in the mundane. Much like the words by poet Pat Schneider in ‘The Patience of Ordinary Things’— “How clothes wait respectfully in closets / And soap dries quietly in the dish / And towels drink the wet from the skin of the back / And the lovely repetition of stairs / And what is more generous than a window?"—Lovebirds makes a case for finding love in the granular things. The handkerchief hemline that pronounces a straight, angular dress. A rani pink colour which is infused onto a oversized collared shirt inspired by paper-thin bougainvillea often seen on the duo’s walk to the studio. The label that started with a dot and a line, reimagines perennials proudly,…

When we thought about marriage, it was so much more than a social construct for us. Over the course of the pandemic, we’d spent time thinking about how it would show up in our worlds—in the way we’d compose something, how it would impact our work individually and together, the ability to express ourselves, our vulnerability and how we live our truth,” says Doyel Joshi of her relationship with her husband, Neil Ghose Balser. Some relationships are fated to begin at the most unintended places. Balser and Joshi’s started at the entrance of the University Center at Parsons School of Design in New York City. “I was wearing an orange turtleneck, getting out of a yoga session. Balser and his friends were hanging out there. We noticed each other and just…