Content creators are cultural disruptors. Detached from the mundaneness of adhering to the accepted codes of society and braving yourself through unsolicited opinions is a skill you must cultivate. Ishita Mangal has done just that. Despite the curveballs thrown at her—like shutting down her fashion brand—Mangal has managed to go from strength to strength. Alongside creating content, she has hosted award shows and plans to relaunch a brand of her own. Her opinionated stance on all things fashion helps her stand out as a unique voice in the saturated social media landscape. We sat down for a freewheeling chat with her and discussed all things content, burnouts and fashion.
ELLE: From working in fashion to content creation, tell us about this pivot.
Ishita Mangal (IM): I was running my label, and there were questions from the customers regarding its styling. So I started making videos to help with that. The pandemic happened and there were suddenly no clothes to sell. I continued making videos because, by then, my audience had started to sort of pick up. During the pandemic, the page grew to an extent where I discovered that I was passionate about it, and the rest, as they say, is history.
ELLE: Tell us about your online series, ‘Ishtates of India.’
IM: It is a special series where I introduce Indian crafts and handlooms in a fun, informative and engaging way. While ideating this, someone in my team pointed out that we should be exploring different languages in India. And that’s when the idea of ‘Ishtates of India’ finally came up. We do specific episodes where we pick a certain craft, culture, and inside jokes relevant to the culture of the state’s people and then the language, too. It helps us connect with our audience.
ELLE: What keeps you going?
IM: Burnout is a reality for a lot of us. What has helped me is building a system. You have to be self-motivated. Also, sticking to a structure helps.
ELLE: What has been your biggest challenge in navigating the social media landscape?
IM: The problem is that many people focus on going viral, and somewhere, they lose their voice and authenticity. You have to find the mix between being authentic and relatable because brands want something from you, and the audience wants something else.
Read the full story on ELLE India’s new issue, or download your digital copy via Magzter.
