The creator economy is currently booming with the rise of independent creators and influencers, thanks to social media. Young individuals are honing their digital skills and crafting the future of consumer-tech like never before, with their loyal army of followers. What makes the creator ecosystem truly innovative and disruptive are the creators' distinct approaches towards content creation which arise from their own unique personal journeys that have led them this far.
To gain a better insight into their individual sense of style and journey, we spoke to five emerging content creators from around India who shall be in attendance at Myntra’s first ever ‘Creator Fest’ and asked them to shed some light on the many aspects of the role, and the constant evolution of trends in the space as we also explored the way their partnership with the brand has mutually benefited their niches.
Breaking away from the largely Euro-centric approach of beauty and makeup on the platform, Swagata Dev from Assam is making space for deeper skin tones and real texture through her content.
Swagata believes that her personal journey is about unlearning internalised colourism. Through her videos, she also invites others to join her in this process and embrace the culture of beauty and makeup that has traditionally only been reserved for lighter skin. As a propagator of authenticity, she believes that ‘real’ is the only constant and pretence can become exhausting after a point. Her online identity and voice are crafted while keeping this in mind and she wishes to communicate the thrill of unabashedly owning one's real self to the audience.
“I try to use all possible colours present in the makeup palette from neon to bright reds, as these colours are traditionally considered out of bounds for dark-skinned girls. I do not agree with this societal conditioning and use my content to urge more women to rise above the conditioning and be whoever they want to be.”Swagata Dev
Adlina, a budding fashion and travel blogger from Mumbai, took a leap of faith by leaving the corporate sector a few years ago. Embracing a changing world, she gradually transitioned into creating compelling content on social media platforms and has not looked back ever since. “I was intrigued by it all. It was such a big ocean of possibilities that I decided to spontaneously quit my job and jump right in.”
Starting from scratch in a relatively new industry, Adlina faced the journey head-on and eventually landed a collaboration with Myntra, which further enabled her to explore the space and hone her craft. While there definitely has been a learning curve to the process, it’s the experience of crafting one's own unique voice and identity that keeps her going.
Another young creative from the city of Guwahati, Manaswinee Hazarika initially started her journey of content creation in collaboration with her sister. As an individual with a creative bent of mind and a strong inclination towards fashion, the digital space as well as Myntra provided her with the creative freedom to carve a unique path for herself. By letting her work speak for itself, Manaswinee managed to capture the hearts of many with her simplicity and relatability.
Departing from the loud and fast approach to content creation, Manaswinee shares that she marks a distinct place for herself by crafting more real and subtle content.
Asmita Kaushik, a digital creator who also describes her creative identity as a ‘girl next door’, elaborates how humility, hard work and listening intently to her audience has helped her growth tremendously. “Understanding that some could be budget-conscious and are seeking options in the market that fit their price range, I try to build my fashion content for every audience.”
While social media can sometimes feel alienating, this is where Asmita chooses to break the mould by creating relatable content that is easily translated to a wider audience. Making beauty and fashion more accessible to all through video formats and interactions rooted in a direct understanding of consumers, her content bridges the wide gap by taking a more empathetic and engaging route.
Raghav Girdhar, who left his job as a corporate professional, explains how the power of social media transformed not only his career but has also been the force behind helping him craft a unique identity of his own. Exploring the online fashion space from a novice's perspective helped him understand the psyche of the general public. Through this, he has been able to build a more personalised relationship with his audience as well.
“Certainly being a part of Myntra’s Style Squad has also played a huge role in this journey as personalised communication style has now become a part of my online identity.”
Raghav explains how the space can be challenging at times but his ability to do real research about demographics and changing trends provides more grounding to his subjects. Furthermore, it is the freedom of creativity that allows him to innovate beyond fleeting fads, as he seeks to build a distinct presence with his content that cannot be easily replicated.
As a powerful enabler in their journeys, Myntra has designed a unique space for credible, charismatic, and empathetic creatives to thrive and connect with the youth. By allowing them creative freedom as well as providing the required support by way of a steady income flow, access to leading brands and mentoring avenues, they are building the voice of this generation. Myntra’s ‘Creator Fest’ taking place on 2nd December, ahead of its 17th edition of End of Reason Sale, is bringing together the collective creative genius of these young minds to celebrate the rise and rise of the Indian creator economy.
These digital spaces are true explorations of talent and a common space for creatives across diverse backgrounds to find relatable content that speaks to them. Furthermore, these collaborations are immensely impactful in terms of creating a rare bridge between brands and the audience while also building an authentic platform for innovation.
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