We are more dependent on technology than ever. Our phones have become like windows to another world, providing us with a much-needed escape from the physical constraints of the four walls of our homes. Whether we need to attend a virtual work meeting, hunt down a recipe, or try out a new fitness regime, we are turning to apps for the solutions. We reached out to some of the leading influencers in Kolkata to find out their most-used apps.
Karuna Ezara Parikh
Parikh is a model and poet who captured our attention with her way with words and held it with her indomitable spirit and the fearless way in which she speaks up for what she believes in, often lending her voice to causes close to her heart. Her first book ‘The Heart Asks Pleasure First‘ is releasing this September with Pan Macmillan India. Her two most-used apps during the lockdown. “I have been using WordFeud that allows me to play Scrabble with friends across the world and Pinterest, to keep myself inspired,” she said.
Tina Mukherjee
Tina wears different hats as a fashion show director, entrepreneur, and brand consultant. Zoom is the app she turned to during the lockdown. “The lockdown happened so fast that it honestly took me some time to accept what was happening, and also lockdown sort of rendered me jobless, something that happened to a whole lot of us. But I did spring into action quite fast and started online classes on makeup, acting, and confidence-building, ”she said. Along with some friends, she started a little academy. “Zoom was our app, we could reach out to a wider audience for our classes, and I suddenly realized Zoom had taken over my life: Zoom meetings, classes and events! I was living in the virtual world.”
Eina Ahluwalia
Eina is a jewellery designer whose exquisitely crafted designs are popular among Bollywood A-listers Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, and Priyanka Chopra. Through her work, she subverts the idea of jewellery as ornamentation and instead chooses to use her medium to create unique stand-out pieces as an expression of self-awareness and strength. Her most-used apps include Instagram. “It’s helped me get the news in microdoses, as opposed to watching TV or reading the news. Also, I can zone out and calm my nerves with the art, design, dog, and cat videos. It’s been a place that has inspired, as I have watched people take movements and protests online when they can’t be on the streets “she said.
Suman Airish Barik
Airish is a talented makeup artist and fashionista. His most-used app has been Lightroom, a photo editing app. “Fashion runs in my blood, so I create what comes naturally to me. My all-time favourite app has to be Lightroom. For me, both Lightroom and Instagram are interconnected. I do all my editing on Lightroom as it helps me create a particular mood board. I love editing and adjusting the colours. Posting every day during lockdown has been fun, and even more so with my own preset on Lightroom.”
Mamta Sharma Das
Mamta is an influencer, blogger, and content creator who shares glimpses of her life through Instagram. Her most-used apps include Pinterest. “I love Pinterest because I find myself addicted to finding and pinning creative ideas, inspirations, and virtual tours to a different part of the world. Pinterest is a wonderfully designed app that serves as a constant source of inspiration and is an exceptional visual retreat to explore what matters to you. As a content designer and blogger, I get a variety of ideas from Pinterest.“
Saachi Bhasin Daga
Saachi is a Kolkata-based model and influencer who is in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle space. She described her most-used app as a “no brainer — It’s Instagram! Due to it being work-related. Also, I have used this app to connect with my audience during this difficult time. I love it for being able to express myself most in my fields of interest.”
Joan Dominic Rai
Joan works as a senior designer at a Kolkata fashion house. The @TheWhiteHairedGuy on Instagram, he uses as his platform to share his passion for fashion, photography, and art. His aesthetic is androgynous and gender fluid. Not surprisingly, his most used app is Instagram. “I am not a very tech person, and I do not use a lot of apps, but I manage my blog through Instagram. My blog is about sharing my stories and my life experiences. I found my voice through fashion. For me, it’s a language through which I communicate. I believe that clothes have no gender. My blog stands for inclusivity, self-love, and humility. Through Instagram, I have met people from all over the world who understand and appreciate what I do. I have created a niche for myself and found an audience for my work into which I put my heart and soul.”
Sneha Ghosh
Sneha is a model, yogini, and actor based in Kolkata. The app that she used most during the lockdown was the Bihar School of Yoga app. “As I don’t have any professional training in Yoga, this app guided me in terms of meditation, audio satsang, and yoga practices that non-experts do not have much idea about. It has shaped my everyday life because it’s something that I carried on my mat, and it translated off my mat even after my practice into my day. I feel that a bit of guided practises can help you through your struggles.”
Arti Nayar
Arti is a celebrity makeup artist with an enviable client roster. From Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra to Katrina Kaif, Arti has made up some of the most glamorous faces in the country. Her most-used app has been Instagram, which she uses professionally to showcase her work and talent. “I realized that it was time to share the wealth of knowledge, experience, and tricks of the trade that I have picked up in the 11 years of my career. I know that there are lots of young women who want to be makeup artists and feel that this time is setting them back, and I want them to have access to expertise from a trained makeup artist. I am also using this time to put out a lot of content to show my work and build my brand in a way that I couldn’t focus on when I was busy working and travelling. “
Ayushman Mitra
Ayushman is the brainchild behind the eclectic and funky label Bobo Calcutta. A talented designer who believes that art is a lifestyle and that you can express yourself through fashion, his clothes are as psychedelic and unconventional. His most-used app has been Instagram. “Working in art and fashion — it’s the world largest online exhibition. One becomes a part of the creative process as well as its impact. It is complex, and I love being a part of it. Also, a lot of my work happens on the app,” he says.
Pictures via Instagram
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