Romantics by Raw Mango explores the love & lust for dresses

Sanjay Garg explains, "Every collection is an opportunity for me to express myself across multiple mediums. The textiles, silhouettes, campaigns are connected, but yet each also requires its own approach. Romantics draws from 18th century European textile history; often lavish and novel in technique, it was the epicentre of luxury textile producing the finest brocades. Raw Mango Festive 2021 - Romantics relays pastels of the Rococo period through woven ornamentation like birds, flora and ribbons. The campaign explores an undefined love and romance through three individuals, all of whom are enjoying themselves. And really, isn't that something we can all relate to wanting?"

Lovers, long lunches, balmy afternoons and endless wine. A five-part video campaign, titled Romantics, by Raw Mango explores a triumvirate of two women and a man discovering their sexuality, affection and identity. Romantics is a culmination of all that the 18th century aspired to be— a time of excess, of a nothing-to-do and nowhere-to-be attitude, but never without being dressed to the nines in feathers, pearls and fineries. As with all things Raw Mango by Sanjay Garg, an Indian lens is added to the time of beauty and idleness. Gowns and dresses from the designer, named after royal names with a Parsi tongue, Scheherazade, Kainaz and Zenobia pepper a collection of put-together pearls, ruffles and quilting, juxtaposed with Raw Mango brocade.

What unfolds is an unravelling of this put togetherness, as three lovers innocuously fall in love, test boundaries, and leave the rest to our imagination. Shot by Ashish Shah, and art directed by Sanjay Garg, the short videos are a playful and artful representation of a time gone by. We sat down with the designer and photographer to talk through Romantics, and how video, as a medium, lends itself to beautiful storytelling and styling.

Blog by: BY AKANKSHA KAMATH for Vogue.