Brand ‘you’

These days I have developed this compulsive habit of picking up issues of coffee table magazines every time I stop at a café. Today I picked up two different ones (Chennai based) when I walked out of mocha. One of the lifestyle magazines had the most brilliantly shot portfolio pics of a popular designer. I am no expert but whatever (little)knowledge I possess leads me to believe that a portfolio (be it a celeb or a regular person) is meant to capture the various facets of the subject’s personality. And this has to be done just as much through wardrobe choices and other decorative elements as by camera angles and lighting. The pics were brilliant because every element used (carefully chosen sneakers, hat, jacket) seemed to so beautifully lend to the subject’s personality, in the end making him less of a person and more of a brand. If you think that’s a bad thing please read ‘Marketting brand you’
Coming back to portfolios, what’s disappointing is that a lot of people believe you should make do with what they have (This works only when you already have carefully cultivated image or a great wardrobe. Even then it always helps to jazz it up a little). Worse, there are (some) instances when people don’t understand why I pick up an Ed Hardy tee at Rs 590 as opposed to something from an export surplus store. I have nothing against street shopping or shopping out of nondescript places, been there done that. But this only works in rare occasions when the stuff is inexpensive but looks expensive. On a couple of occasions I have ruffled feathers by going a little over budget while shopping for portfolios. But on both occasions I had them coming back to me to tell me the clothes I had shopped for were real investments. One of them told me that while the film fraternity had not really taken much notice, a very popular Chennai designer had found the portfolio particularly interesting because of the clothes and styling. At that moment I visualized imaginary zeros added to my pay cheque:).