A fashion stylist, designer & a photographer, Ashish Sahu has started his own chic high-end clothing line which has caught the fancy of models of national & international repute.
HOW HE GOT STARTED:
‘’Since childhood, I somehow had this nagging tendency to follow the latest fashion trends, being born and brought up in a very modern and a broad- minded family,’’ recollects Ashish. While his mother is a retired principal, his father is into construction business. I always nurtured this dream of achieving some name and fame in the field I get into and be in the limelight. So after my gradutation from BJB, College, Bhubaneswar, I went to Delhi in 2005 to turn my dreams into reality,’’ says Ashish. He initially worked for a few MNCs. But then dawned the idea of starting something of his own in the world of fashion.
OUTFITS
‘’I decided to start my own clothing brand but finance was a constraint. I never wanted to ask money from my parents. So I started taking up small assigments from friends and their families to design their outfits for special occasions. My work started getting appreciated and finally, in 2007, Outfits happened. At Oufits, we not only cater to clothing and designing but our styling portfolio includes high profile brand shoots, working for magazine covers and editorials, making portfolios for upcoming models and many more,’’ he proudly informs.
THE HICCUPS:
‘’Oh there were many,’’ he smiles as he recounts them. ‘’I knew nothing about Delhi so making contacts and getting work was a cumbersome task then but I had faith in myself. While I always considered designing as my forte, styling was something I inculcated even though I never did any course on styling and fashion,’’ an interesting revelation from this makeover guru, who believes that it was sheer luck and efforts that his out-of-the-box experiments with style clicked in the market.
‘’I remember I used to give my clothes to models to showcase my designs in their photoshoots so that people notice my collection. In fact, my tryst with photography started only when I realised that even though my work was good, there was no platform to present it. So, one fine day, I decided to do the shoot myself and that drew a lot of flak. But I always had a good knowledge of composition and framing, thanks to my fascination for photography. And, my first photoshoot was an instant hit. By the time, I did my second, my photography had captured the attention I wanted,’’ he informs.
CELEBRITY CLIENTS:
Its been five years since Sahu has been styling and designing. He has worked for many brands and supermodels across India like Jas Wadhwa, Maahi Singh, Veeru Bisht, Sumeet Nehra and international models like Phoebe Mairiam Lawson, Juliya Mandych, Melinda Marczali, Tory Grace,
Patricia Gonclaves and so on. He has also been associated with a reputed clothing brand of South Africa Diamond Ark. ‘’So its been quite a journey for me,’’ he says with confidence.
FASHION TIPS:
‘’My fashion mantra is very simple. Do not follow what people wear, wear something in which you would look good as per your height, body structure, skin tone and various other aspects,’’ says Sahu. For lean people, he advises not to wear body hugging costumes as that would end up making them look slimmer than what they already are. ‘’Always get clothes which enhances your body structure. Try wearing something in stripes or checks as it adds a bit of substance to your wardrobe,’’ he adds quickly. On the other hand, for the ones who are healthy, he says soft colours and pastel shades will do wonders and warns them to avoid polyster and lycra fabrics as they tend to stick to the body.
ADVICE FOR NEWBIES:
‘’My only advice to aspiring stylists, photographers and designers would be to be as imaginative as possible. I am not someone who tries to do what others do. I keep looking out for new things. Creativity doesn’t stop anywhere. It isnt about where you have learned your job, it is about how passionate you are about it. Passion for your work can take you to greater heights,’’ signs off Sahu, who with his creative flair intends to reach newer horizons in near future.