Indian Summer, Pink City Dreams
Following on from At The Onsen, this new collection, Indian Summer, takes the viewer on a journey to Jaipur in India.
Drawn in by the architecture, patterns and colours. Particularly the pastel architecture, which is something that flows from previous collections ‘it’s a palette that I’m drawn back to time and time again. There’s just something magical about Jaipur that seems so joyful”
Jaipur is known as the Pink City thanks to its distinctive pink-coloured buildings. This colour dates back to 1876 when Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II painted the city’s historic buildings in a warm terracotta-pink hue to welcome Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later crowned King Edward VII) during his extensive tour of the Indian subcontinent. In Indian culture, pink symbolizes hospitality, and it’s said that Prince Albert gave Jaipur its nickname as the Pink City.
“When I was researching Jaipur, I realised that colour is not only decoration here, but also language. It is the language of the history, and of the warmth of the people who call Jaipur their home. From the rose-hued streets in the soft light of dawn to the lavender-toned shadows as dusk settled over the city. This backdrop, even the ordinary becomes slightly surreal.”
Soo spent almost eighteen months planning Indian Summer, Pink City Dreams, researching locations and finding inspiration from music, books and cinema. As with every collection, she created a playlist, ranging from Alabaster DePlume to Jakes Bejoy and Roberto Musci, choosing music that would reflect the mood of the visual aesthetic she was building.
“I saw frames from The Darjeeling Limited by Wes Anderson everywhere in India. It’s a truly beautiful film. I can see it in the works I have created too, somewhere between real and imagined. This in-between place is something that I have long enjoyed exploring in my work.”
Soo selected locations that spoke of history and grandeur, including Rambagh Palace, which was once the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, and Hodh, House of Naila, an oasis in the city that was built by the Prime Minister of Jaipur, Fateh Singhji, in 1876. Soo also chose places that would offer a gentle, faded elegance, from old cinemas to local swimming pools – buildings washed in soft colours, and that held a sense of nostalgia.
This collection has a defined aesthetic. Soo spent six months honing the styling, choosing accessories, and had some pieces custom made for the shoot. There were things to learn while on location, such as the art of folding the traditional safa. “While I wanted to build an aesthetic that felt distinct to this place, it was important to me that this collection also felt like a continuation of my existing work,” she reflects.
Soo also found inspiration while exploring the city, the scent of chai and spice that hung in the air to the chaos of the busy streets, where the sounds of car horns and tuk-tuks quickly become a backdrop to life.
Soo discovered collections of vintage family photographs that would also inform her styling. “I became fascinated with these faded glimpses into people’s lives. Some were old Polaroids, others were carefully staged formal portraits while others felt like random memories captured on film”.
Soo brought together a small team for this project, including six models, a guide, and a driver who navigated the chaotic roads with experience and calm. “The models really understood the work I was trying to create and the atmosphere on set was so much fun. I think this comes across in the photographs too.”
Scenes in Indian Summer, Pink City Dreams feel like snapshots from a past era. “For me, there’s definitely a retro vibe in this collection, they feel cinematic ” Soo reflects.
This trip was filled with special moments. When Soo was shooting at Rambagh Palace and moving from one location to set up in the next, she turned a corner to find a group of elephants walking towards her. “to experience them so close – they walked by so quietly and with such grace. They were absolutely beautiful. It was surreal, like being in a dream.”
As viewers explore this collection, Soo hopes that they can sense the beauty of this city and also the feeling of heat in these long, last days of summer. When the city is washed in pinks, reds and amber. “I will remember the floral scents of lily and rose, the sun-faded surfaces of the buildings and the intense colours of the free-roaming peacocks against the chalky pastels, and of course starting each day with chai.
“I hope that people can feel the sense of joy in this work and experience the intense colours of India, perhaps from a slightly different perspective than is usually seen. I will never forget my incredible time in Jaipur.”