We chat with the ever-so-talented Roshni M. Raveendran, about her creative direction, source of inspiration and work as a visual artist.
Ever since she was a young girl, Roshni M Raveendran has been fascinated by the world of art – often getting lost in tales woven in books, the colourful experience of painting and the playful world of shadows and light with photography. With a penchant for creativity, she has steadily grown to be a driving force behind some of the most spell-binding imagery that has surfaced in the Kingdom of Bahrain. “I am a classically trained dancer and also have a degree in fashion design,” says Ms. Raveendran, who arrived on the shores of sunny Bahrain in 2017.
Since then, she’s had the opportunity to work in many fashion houses and collaborate with many creatives too. “The services I provide are art direction, set direction, concept creation, wardrobe styling and fashion designing for advertisements and photoshoots,” she explains.
“My work starts with an ‘idea’ – it is either an aesthetic project made for the love of storytelling or a commercial project intended to wow potential customers. The aesthetic pieces are often done in collaboration with local talents, which Bahrain has plenty of,” she adds, with a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Having been involved in artistic productions since she was in college, Roshni’s world naturally veered towards creative direction. “I have designed and directed fashion shows, assisted professional stylists for magazine shoots, worked with bridal designers and supported advertising agencies,” she says.
“I believe no job is too small or unimportant if it is done well. Thankfully, I have had a lot of people who have mentored me and I have been blessed with nothing but good experiences,” she adds.
With concepts inspired by the inseparable bond of brothers, the Wild West, history and more, Roshni creative story-telling knows no bounds. “This might sound cliché, but I draw inspiration from almost everything. For most of my personal creative projects I take inspiration from nature and my surroundings. I get inspired by the people around me, some situations, some minute moments or small seemingly insignificant things in life. And if I can convey a story or a message through my projects – I would consider that as a huge achievement,” she explains.
To execute each concept, she works closely with a team to bring a number of creative elements together. “I am blessed to be able to work with a small group of like-minded, creative and passionate individuals, who have become more family than friends – photographer and art director, Kiran Varghese, model and photographer, Ruby Alva, and model and content writer, Arunita Praharaj. Each of them is equally important and actively involved in the creative process,” she says.
As a visual artist she believes that the greatest challenge is to constantly come up with new and interesting ideas that can be practically executed. “What people see is just 30 per cent of the actual act, but people do not know how hard it is to get this done,” she says.
“My team and I are constantly glued to our phones and computers researching, calling in wardrobe, spending sleepless nights, praying for good weather and running around non-stop. There is so much preparation that is required beforehand,” she adds.
As with most people, Roshni has been faced with some challenges during the pandemic.
“I started full-fledged styling, designing and production during the first wave of COVID. The market is slow but work is there. Our shoots have to be restricted to essential personnel only – that means we usually have to do our own heavy lifting and maintaining social distancing becomes a bit of a challenge,” she explains.
When it comes to projects in the pipeline, she’s working one one which involves sustainability, pollution and, one of her personal favourites, fabric draping – all rolled into one. “When it comes to projects I don’t have any favourites since each of the past projects have been a very different experience altogether. Every time someone asks me that, I like to think that the most exciting project is the next one I am working on,” she concludes.
Want to check out more of Roshni’s creative work? Follow her on Instagram using the handle @StyleStoriesByRos.
