black/red

Nidhi Jacob.…has a personal style blog here.

Old albums, streets, and grandmothers.

“I’m obsessed with family stories, mine and others’. Most of my inspiration comes from old family albums, streets, and grandmothers.”
Nidhi Jacob, 24. Freelance stylist/writer.

 

Top- a collage made of Nidhi’s grandparents and her father.

Below – a photo of her grandfather, sister and friends.

“I like old things in general. I like my clothes to look either borrowed or worn-in, that way they look like they have some character. 90% of my wardrobe is bought off the streets of Bandra and Colaba. There used to be a guy with a rack of clothes (the type that Goan middle-aged women* really favour; totally my style) on Hill road, Bandra, and everything on that rack was for Rs. 50/-. He’s not there anymore, so i really treasure every piece I bought from him – like a white crepe blouse, a sheer black pleated dress and unusually printed separates.”

*Goan middle-aged women – they could always be seen wearing knee-length dresses or skirt suits and blouses in synthetic fabrics and unusual prints and colours with voluminous sleeves, peplum and fancy buttons.

“I grew up in Pune. I shifted to Mumbai to study fashion when I was 17. After finishing college I went to Chennai for a year to teach fashion illustration/design methodology. Thereafter, I came back to Mumbai to work at Grazia. I love the research and constant movement that a magazine allows. There are people, clothes, photographers, photos, make-up, runway shows; there’s so much one gets to learn and experience about the industry while working with a magazine. I quit Grazia 7 months ago because I was itching to work with my hands. I took some time off…volunteered on an organic farm, and now I am back in Bombay..freelancing.”

Shirt- export surplus store in Pune
Beaded cardi- Colaba causeway
Bell-bottoms- stolen from a friend (stitched using her mom’s old saree)
Wedges- Charles & Keith
Bag- leather export surplus store in Chennai
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These photo is 6 months old..the first time I met Nidhi. She is wearing her father’s spectacles and a two decade old dress picked from some place in Bandra  for about 300 Rupees.

I know this last picture is sort of out of place in a straight-faced scheme of things. I’d asked Nidhi if she could fake a smile..she ended up laughing.