Karuna Laungani

Fashion Stylist & Consultant, JODI

Mumbai

Text: Border&Fall

Photography: Header: Tarun Vishwa | Remaining: credited accordingly

The Beginning Growing up in Bombay had a huge impact on me. Back then Bandra gave me the feeling of staying in a charming, quaint village and I loved how the old Catholic aunties went to church in their floral print dresses and scarves. The whole vibe of the suburb was easy and laid back. I like that it wasn’t perfect. I knew from early on that I wanted to work in a creative field and I was never really academically inclined, spending most of my time in class sketching and daydreaming about fashion. I decided I wanted to become a fashion designer and began studying design at Sophia College, Mumbai. After graduating, I enjoyed designing but realized I was looking at a more varied experience. Working in a magazine you are exposed to so much more. You don’t just learn about styling, but you are multitasking – and how! Between juggling admin work, organizing events, production, closing issue and sending multiple couriers it is almost like a fashion school where you are exposed to all aspects of the industry. A big part of my job was networking and maintaining relations which I used to loathe, but slowly I began to understand it’s importance and started to enjoy it. You have the opportunity to connect with the fashion fraternity and work closely with creative minds from different fields, it’s an enriching experience.

I decided to take a break from designing and assist another freelance stylist as I wanted to have some experience in styling before I approached a magazine. After assisting for a couple of months I emailed and applied for a job at ELLE. I had no contacts but I was lucky to be called in for an interview and be selected. I took a pay cut compared to my previous salary, but I couldn’t be happier as this was what I wanted to do. My first few months were not rosy at all, it was tough as the standards in the magazine were so high and I had to be on top of everything. But thank God for that, it taught me so much more than a school could ever teach. I was lucky to have a super team, both Nonita Kalra and my then Fashion Director Mohan Neelakantan really encouraged and nurtured us. The team at ELLE was fantastic and we were lucky to work together to create some good work. I started off as Fashion Assistant and got promoted to Senior Stylist, then to Junior Fashion Editor, followed by Deputy Fashion Editor and finally Fashion Editor. I got to run and manage my own team which was great, I had an amazing team and we had the most fun at our jobs.

Elle was a wonderful experience and after six years I decided it was time to explore other avenues. I still love magazines but think they are currently stagnating and digital is slowly taking over. Magazines need to up their game and reinvent themselves.

Moment At ELLE, we had some crazy outdoor shoots traveling to remote parts of India. My first outdoor shoot was in Jaisalmer and we were shooting in the month of May in about 50 degrees celsius. Our call time was 2 am and we went to bed by 12 am. It was a ridiculous idea to shoot in Rajsthan at that time – in the – in the middle of the desert! But we had such an amazing team; Photographer Tarun Vishwa, Hair & Make up Namrata Soni, Model NIdhi Sunil and Editorial Manager Parul Menezes. Shooting under trying conditions in sand dunes was tough but we managed to pull off a great shoot. The odds were against us but if you work in sync and with the right team, anything is possible. For our next shoot we decided to explore the jungles of Cherrapunji. We had a dangerous trek for four hours through foot bridges, rocky roads and up flights of stairs only to find the most beautiful and picture-perfect tropical paradise. I have never seen such a breathtaking location. The trek tested our limits and we thought we would not make it back. But experiences like these make me love my job even more and inspire me creatively.

Inspiration Nonita Kalra. Working with her is nothing short of incredible. She might be tough but she takes a deep interest in nurturing you. She was more than just our boss and editor. She inspired us, pushed us and groomed us to be the best. Movies also definitely inspire me: Shaan, Silsila and Umrao Jaan, to name a few. I think actors of 70’s Hindi cinema were so stylish and much better dressed than the current lot. And then I like movies like Amelie, Hitchcock films,The Graduate, Stoker as well. I love lifestyle design and textiles, and I browse a lot of decor websites. Also, books on textiles and costumes because I am most excited by exploring local arts, crafts and textiles of a region.

Digital References designfiles.com, trendland.net, papermag.com, russh.com, Acne Paper. I’m currently obsessed with humansofnewyork.com.

Work Freelance Fashion Stylist/Consultant – Currently styling Sonam Kapoor for ‘Khoobsurat’ Fashion Editor – ELLE INDIA, 2007-2013 Head Designer – Golmaal, 2006-2007 Textile/Fashion Designer – Zeba with Krsna Mehta, 2005-2006