Shakti - fuelling creativity for our campaign photoshoot
October marked the launch of the Shakti collection, a project incredibly close to my heart. With this launch came a whirlwind of emotions—excitement about sharing something new, anxiety about how it would be received, and vulnerability in presenting work so deeply personal and different from anything I’ve created before.
But beyond that, this collection became a powerful reminder for me to embrace my own inner Shakti—my strength, creativity, and resilience—especially recently, at a time when I needed it the most. Amidst the whirlwind of personal and professional challenges, it has grounded me in the knowledge that I have everything within me to rise, persevere, and thrive.
As it turns out, those fears and anxieties were unfounded. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and deeply humbling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported this collection—your encouragement means more than words can express.
As we inch closer to the end of the year, I’m reflecting on the transformation I’ve been on this year on a personal level. My path has been one of profound self-realisation—an exploration of who I truly am, anchored in trust, intuition, and the embrace of divine feminine energy within me. Shakti, the dynamic creative force that pulses through the universe, within all living beings, and throughout nature, has been my guiding light.
And so, the Shakti Collection was born from this journey of deep introspection.
For me, Shakti is an electric life force that fuels creativity, empowers intuition, and embodies the essence of who we are at our core.
Through this collection, I wanted to capture the essence of Shakti—the inner belief, trust, and power that drives us forward, helping us connect more deeply with ourselves and the world around us.
You can read more about the Shakti collection and the three core motifs of the collection here.
But here, I want to talk about the power of collaboration and reflect on the beautiful campaign shoot we did for the Shakti collection.
With this collection being so personal to me, I knew that I wanted to bring together a team who would honour my vision while also bringing their creative flair to the table.
So one day in September, in an assuming warehouse/studio-space in North London, the Shakti shoot team got together.
Our model was Anu Shankar, who I’ve worked with for the Pink City and Diya Collections previously. When I imagined the campaign for Shakti, Anu’s face immediately came to mind and I knew she would fully exude the power that this collection needed.
Behind the lens was my long-time collaborator and friend, Ofilaye, who has brought many of my collections to life through his photography. We’ve got such a great working relationship and just gets my vision - and this shoot was no different. Shakti gave us a chance to combine both our styles so effortlessly.
I was so excited to bring stylist Neelam on board to style the shoot. I’ve worked with her as a Style Consultant for my personal wardrobe, not to mention she's been an ultimate collaborator for the Adorned Narrative festival we put together earlier this year; So I knew she’d be able to source pieces and put together outfits that aligned with the bold looks I envisioned. And she did not disappoint! Neelam curated a collection of outfits including a stunning red and black Anand Kabra dress via Amrika London, a beautiful black lehenga skirt from Monalisasarees which she paired with a top from Asos, and a vibrant neon blazer over a black Anthropologie bralette for a more sensuous look.
I was so excited to have a talented glam team in the form of Ganga for makeup and Mira Parmar for hair. Together they created three striking looks for Anu - from the slick waves and razor-thin eyeliner to the heavy braid with gold paint in the hairline with smokey liner and blue-green eyeshadow.
Together, we created a campaign that truly reflects the bold, unapologetic vision I had for the Shakti collection and I couldn’t be prouder. A big thank you to the team for translating my moodboards and ideas into this striking set of images!
Shop the collection here.
Behind the Scenes photos by Kavya Chauhan
