An Instagramer's fashion Journey

Since school days, I was convinced of my passion for creative fields and by 8th Grade, I had made up mind to pursue a career into a creative field. Being the youngest of three siblings there was always the unsaid performance pressure. However, my parents never forced me to follow the suit of my elder siblings, rather they allowed me to pave a way for myself. After graduating class 10 with first-class, my decision of opting Arts was supported by them against the taste of many relatives and neighbours.

Sadly, we still live a society that equates Science to a prodigious career whereas Arts, an easy option for those weak with academics. My dreams of becoming a Fashion designer were scrutinised and mocked by the society. Some even went on to say, that Fashion Design was a career for girls, and questioned my future prospects regarding the career. Judging from their narrow perspective, according to them, a guy in the fashion industry only meant a future as a tailor. My sketches too became an object of mockery and a source of a constant bullying during school days. Even amidst all these struggles, my parents never deterred my work, instead, they supported me and motivated me to perform well in whatever career I decided for myself.

Getting admission at FDDI, Noida with an AIR 8 was the first victory I added to my list of achievements and stands as a testament that I could fare well in life. Struggling with financial issues, my parents issued a loan to support my education and looking at their immense support and their struggles my determination to make them proud only grew manifold. College opened up new avenues for my career.

In 2017 I had my first chance to attend a Fashion Week in New Delhi. This was an opportunity to dress up and present not just my styles but to convey my story through fashion, so much so that I went on to show my frugal sense of fashion by borrowing my brother’s old Denim shirt and pinning it with handmade cardboard stickers. Surprisingly, my fashion style was loved by everyone and landed me three interviews. Tags like budding blogger were bestowed upon me by media channels, even without my understanding of those-terminologies. Upon researching, I found a whole new world waiting to be explored and this paved a way for starting my fashion page “Smart clothing everyday living” on Instagram. I immersed myself into it, so much so that a trip to college meant asking my friends to click the photos of my outfits. What began as a hobby, was soon loved by masses and within a few months, I grew from 200 to 1400 followers, with each new follower bringing in new opportunities of collaborations.

Over time I collaborated with startups and fashion labels. But, I took my own pace to understand the nuances of these newfound opportunities. From starting a barter trade of clothes it escalated into paid collaborations. I tried to stay consistent with posts, but things do not always go as per plans. When I fell ill with a stomach infection, the attention and love that I had earned faded away. A month later, I had no collaborations, no new opportunities and I began loosing hope. My sister became a strong support for me in the difficult times and helped me get back to work, treating it not as a work but as a hobby, something that I had always enjoyed.

She began clicking my photos and posting them up consistently. Soon enough things began falling into place as I began to acquire new and better opportunities. Fortunately, things have gone well since then and today I am blessed to receive love from my 40K Plus followers on Instagram, have made beautiful memories working with 200+ brands over 2.5 years. I am now one of the emerging content creators from fashion industry in the country and have my own stickers/gifs on social media platforms Like Instagram and Facebook. In May 2020, I began working on my brand.

I pen my story down, with the hope that it inspires you to chase your dreams irrespective of what everyone else thinks. And just like me, you do not lose faith in your dreams and stay focused on your goal. Now, that I look back at my journey, I can proudly say that my success is a result of my perseverance and determination to not let negativity and critics get the better of me. I wish, you all the luck with your dreams.

The article is written by Raman, Instagram @smartclothingeverydayliving

(Views are his personal)