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Life as a digital writer is often torn between pixels and pitches. There are weeks on end where the only interactions I have are with either those that I am interviewing or with my family. Life itself exists in the digital realm. This is why I often choose to work out of my friend’s office — part studio and part office. Studio Curiousytea, in Kochi, is where I get the chance to see her creative process and have some refreshing conversations. Sometimes, it's also the place where I even get a sneak peek into the creative shoots happening here.
A fine day a few weeks ago, I walked into the studio to work on yet another impending deadline, and was met with retro music playing and gorgeous modular jewellery set across a white cloth. I was surprised to recognise Smruti Mathisekaran, the founder of No Na Me jewellery, a brand that I had written about back in 2023, sitting there rifling through references. The Tirunelveli-based designer was in town to work with photographer Dinoop Raj. He's an editorial photographer who hails from Trivandrum and I was familiar with his previous body of work.
The jewellery they were shooting was set out amidst pixelated hearts, and circles in gold, silver and gunmetal grey finishes sitting, right beside retro duos, lollies, solo cups, packets of chips and decks of cards. I immediately knew the deadline I was aiming to meet that day was a goner. It was going to be a day of delving into the No Na Me’s 8 Bit Love collection and seeing the campaign come alive.
You see, it is one thing to see a finished campaign but to bear witness to how it comes together is something that is indescribable. Between the striking beauty of pageant winner Shwetha Jayaram and the fluid movement and the face card of Kalari practitioner and dancer Aloshy Amal, the muses set the studio alight. The concepts played with nostalgia and love, and all the little emotions that make you feel punch drunk when in love. Inspired by the retro games of yore, Smruti had worked with Subbu Lakshaya to create a collection that is a tribute to video games long since passed.
“8-Bit-Love is a tribute to retro gaming’s most iconic symbols where every heart is a lifeline, every coin a wish, and every mystery box a chance at something extraordinary, transforming digital dreams into tangible treasures.”
No Na Me Jewelry
Pixel hearts, golden tokens, and pathways that echo the thrill of the chase; 8-Bit-Love is a jewellery collection that invites one to embark on an adventure; to deal the cards; to wear your heart on your sleeve, or your lapel, or your pocket. And what I mean by that is the collection literally has pieces like ‘the remnant ring’, a modular pixelated heart that fits across two fingers, or the ‘badge of honour’ pin of four pixelated hearts, or even ‘the bounty’ necklace, a simple pixelated box marked only by a question mark, which opens up to hold whatever your heart desires.
Finding the connection between indulgence and intoxication, the campaign was captured by Dinoop Raj aka Dino and was styled by local talent Akshara Karimbil with makeup by Van Kris. Across the shoot, Shwetha was feeling her most retro self, tipping her head back, donning her wig and striking poses galore. Aloshy was doing what he does best — moving lithely to music and striking gravity-defying poses while “somehow maintaining the tranquillity of a sleeping baby on his face.” By the time the shoot was coming to an end, Aloshy had started to do his own thing — using his body to twist and turn in ways that seemed improbable for the human body to achieve. The juxtaposition of his fluid movements with the more modular and sculptural pieces for the 8-Bit-Love collection is something that took this campaign shoot to the next level.
Suffice it to say, the 8-Bit-Love campaign was a reminder of why I have been a fan of No Na Me since its inception. The brand has been creating designs that go against the mould, but it has also worked hard to conceptualise and craft shoots like this one. Smruti’s design and creative direction and Dino’s unique disposition as an editorial photographer, when paired with a strong concept like the love for retro games and time gone by, has resulted in a great example of what exemplary fashion and design campaigns can and should look like.
