Fashion to Me Is Being You - Tejpal Nagi


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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am born and bought up in Mumbai. I come from a humble background and I have always loved everything that was off track or non-conventional so to say. I have been a lover of music and art in various forms ever since a young age. Academics was never my forte and art was always my love. 

Due to the pressures of the family, I did succumb to a corporate career for 14 years and kept dreaming of wanting to play with the lense one day. Got married at a young age and separated now and handling the pressures of a single parent never allowed me to take the plunge. But I didn’t stop dreaming. 

I was done with my corporate career and the rat race very early in life. Having left with very little options in life after losing my father and being the father of a son, I kept going. 

Though I always knew and have always a silver lining in the cloud in all situations where life was testing me, and one fine day got some gears to experiment with my skills. 

In my early 20’s I was in London for a project that’s when I started learning the art & started photography as a hobby. In my heart always knew I wanted to take the leap and I knew what I wanted to capture through my lens hence when I had to choose my genre. 

I was very clear from day one when I took my step towards a life of uncertainty & risking my role as a provider. But I must say it was worth the effort, it was worth the fear which drove me closer to my goal each day of my life. 

Today I am here living my passion and loving my life. My son is now 14 years old and he started to enjoy editing. It’s very satisfying what I do for a living which was once a dream. 


2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?

It’s my professional page where I showcase my art. 

My corporate career was working in the IT department so guess I had to keep this touch alive. Well, jokes apart, social media has replaced CV hence I do use it for the same.


3. How would you describe your style? 

You need to see my work very carefully and would you believe all my shoots and work have something in common - it’s like a piece of art that one invests in to develop it to call it a beauty. That’s the kind of touch I focus on when I click & edit. 


4. What photographers from the past or present have influenced you the most?

Below are the photographers who have influenced me the most:
  1. Mario Testino
  2. Peter Lindbergh
  3. Annie Leibovitz

5. What makes a great fashion photograph?

Perseverance, fearlessness, commitment to hard work, and being diligently focusing on what one does being a fashion & lifestyle photographer. Life will not always reward you, it will test you if you are worth the reward. That’s when all the above-mentioned skills help one to keep going into the chosen direction. 


6. What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion to me is being you. If you can be you, you can carry anything & that will be termed as fashion. A model wrapped in newspaper is an art & fashion helps you showcase that art. 


7. How can someone become a successful social media influencer?

Focus on your own growth. Look linearly towards your growth graph & keep going consistently. If you are honest enough in your work, you will get the result of your choice.


Some of his work:



- Tejpal Nagi
   IG: tejpal_nagi

- Interviewed By: Anurag Jaiswal