Every time I think of fashion in India my mind is filled with the flashes of rich, vibrant colours and custom couture clothing. I grew up in kurta-pyjamas and pattu pavadais and didn’t have much of a sense of style. The only fashion icons as such in my life that I remember were three head-turning siblings in school not just for their clothes but aesthetics. I wasn’t really all that surprised when I found out that the eldest of them, Praveen, went on and opened his own studio in Bangalore.
While the streets of Mumbai may be teeming with the glitz and glamour of the dominating Bollywood and fashion industry, with thousands flocking to the metropolis to try their hand at the same, Praveen Muniyappa is changing the game with his conceptual studio called StudioC9. Praveen established the studio with his wife Sid Do who he met at NIFT while studying for their bachelor’s degree. Praveen studied design management in the United Kingdom, being a keen observer and a quick learner was able to teach himself fashion photography. After gaining a degree Sid travelled to London and through internships with magazines like Playboy and W. exposed herself to a spectrum of photo studios. they met again during their advanced education at the University of Arts, London where they fell in love. When Sid suggested that Praveen and she consider opening up their own space in Bangalore, he was on-board. StudioC9 was born, named after the address of the site it sits on, which is, in fact, the couple’s own home.
The conceptual studio is a big glass house with high ceilings and windows. A cemented structure stands in the middle, dividing the space into a stylist’s area and a workstation on the other side. Walking around the studio you’ll notice the finer details that they’ve paid attention to that really make the space what it is. Every single item here is carefully selected and positioned in the studio is a curation by the owners to resonate the ethos, style and elegance of their ideation. I felt small sitting in their colossal house, not only compared to the large frame of the room but also in the presence of the multi-talented founders.
Jumping straight into the conversation the duo shared what their job entails, while Sid is a stylist, Praveen is a photographer, and they shared their vision of turning Studio C9 into a full-fledged creative agency. “People in India have confused the concept of a creative agency with that of an ad agency which in fact, is essentially a marketing firm. We focus on a specific narrative and concept around the product given to us, to portray a story” says Sid. Elucidating on their creative process and skills they tell me of a recent project they worked on that involved a series of photographs for an upcoming designer who spent seven months abroad learning to stitch and master the traditional religious habit of nuns. The duo then married the garments to the experienced of their transgender friend and built a narrative – a hermaphrodite nun who is conflicted between being true to herself and being true to her religion.
Rather than flooding people’s social media feeds with concepts and products catered to sell to the audience, they want to stick to their own identity and that of StudioC9, of being an editorial and conceptual photography studio.Praveen and Sid aspire to create a subculture for Bangalore’s creative community and have already hosted a variety of events, most of which were based on themes. One of them called for a gender-bending get together where people cross-dressed, another was a fictional character-themed party; the couple uses these occasions to interact with like-minded people and induce a collaborative atmosphere.
They now plan to expand StudioC9, which is a daylight studio, into a platform to showcase various artistic talents. Over the span of a few hours, my conversation with Praveen and Sid took multiple turns, more than I had planned. Rather, they drew me in with their idea of looking at the big picture. The studio stands as much more than its edgy interiors and wooden flooring. It’s an allegory for Bangalore’s creative vision. Inviting young artists into your home and providing them with a platform to showcase their art on a scale of real visibility is commendable. Giving the city its first platform in this realm, the founders of StudioC9 aren’t just another dreamy couple. Art, aesthetics, philosophies and surrealism in fashion is the core essence of what StudioC9 represents, and is what they’ve gifted the IT hub of India – the possibility of perhaps becoming the next creative capital.
You can check out their Facebook page to rent the space or just satisfy your curiosity.
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