








Project Brief
Creative consultancy for the ecommerce Republic of Mode. To create visuals and develop a signature aesthetic for the brand by conceptualising a unique look through images and language. Building and producing all content for the client’s social media, making sure that it is one of a kind and aligns with their brand identity perfectly.
Client
Credits
Photography, Creative Direction, Styling by Rhea Gupte
Hair and Makeup by Namah Shah
Modelling by Sasha Zhurko at TFM
Styling Credits
All garments by Stephany
Similar to being the creative black sheep in a family of doctors or engineers, zero contacts before the nineties, meant your portfolio was being viewed by a few other than your mum and a supportive cousin; a brand with a little budget before the age of social media required to bow down to the powers that are printed magazines as we know it. A feature in the pages meant a few sales for sure and a possible roadmap to some potential investment, while a full fledged cover saw ‘Out of Stock’ signs outside stores and the brand having made it to the proverbial map. To the contrary, today brands can sit behind a desk and self-produce content, speak to their consumers personally and have a direct effect on sales. Even so, a majority of brands flock behind strange engagements with influencers or bloggers, usually leading to a conniving display of over sharing and social media exploitation. Many have been quick to call bloggers vapid, fame hungry and unaware, easily overseeing how short-sighted, unintelligent and uninformed a large number of brands are.
Numerous funnily resort to unattractive social media accounts with graphics and captions which would have been much better left away from social media altogether, talking down to their consumer by reducing their intellect to that of ‘Oh you “need” this lipstick simply because it exists’, or low-key harassing their existing consumers with constant reminders of their existence to the point that they slowly seize to exist. Several, unaware of the power that lies at their very fingertips, if only they stopped to stand, stare and educate themselves. There is a way to do social media right, and I’m on a mission to explain this phenomenon to any brand who will listen.
The consumer is smart. Brands should be smart too.
Let’s put forward smart ideas and quality content. Let’s transport, engage, cultivate relationships and seek advise to be better. Let’s listen and also speak, in actual words and not emojis. Let’s use our platforms to first share our minds and in the process, only and strictly in the process, gain a likeminded audience.
Hi Rhea, You couldn’t have said it better. I have found myself at both the extremes more often than not – working as a full-time employee at a renowned brand while being a blogger myself. What do I choose? Creativity or meagre budget and ‘fast share’? Because I definitely can’t have both.
Hi Sumedha! The struggle is real, one of the the many reasons why I completely stopped taking work as a blogger. Hope you find your peace and balance. Much love!
Hi Rhea. Nice post.
Marco
PS: I enjoyed visiting your website and I miss your earlier posts from last year and before that.
Thank you! I will shoot some self portraits soon!
beautiful work again hun!!
kisses from the sandpit ❤︎
http://www.mahryska.com
Thank you so much Mahryska!