tirkit

Editorial layout design for DESMA140 [Word + Image].

InDesign

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Design a printed publication around a single topic within fashion: a long text feature, a photo essay of ten or more images, an opening spread with expressive typography, and the system holding it all together, from the grid and folios to captions and a colophon.

Front cover of the tirkit Festive 25–26 magazine, a woman in a jeweled choker and flowers in her hair, on a wooden table — Front Cover

Spread pairing two women in red and gold bridal wear with a painted textile panel on an olive page — Varmala Ceremony

Overlapping spreads of a dancer in a swirling embroidered lehenga, one framed against a hot pink background — Madhurya

Spread with a short text column beside a close-up of hennaed hands and feet among jasmine flowers — Suhaag

I chose to represent Tirkit, Torani's Festive 2025–26 collection. I'd been following the brand for a while, and this collection carried an incredibly rich dissertation on femininity, empowerment, and love explored through the four stages of Shringaar and South Asian traditions. But that story only lived on Instagram, spread across 52 posts with beautifully detailed captions. It wasn't on their website, and it was fragmented post by post, so I wanted to bind it into a physical book, where the historical references could sit right beside the concept photography they inspired, in one unified narrative.

Acting as both editor and designer, I gathered and sequenced the captions into a long-form feature, paired paintings and archival references with the photographs, and organized the issue into chapters. The visual language takes its cues from the collection itself: a jewel-toned palette, an elegant serif for display, and Sanskrit verses set beside their English translations.

I hand bound 200 pages for the book (twice, because I accidentally chopped the page numbers off the first version). I struggled not having the right stock of paper for the cover, which I hope to be able to remedy in the future.

The concept and content of this book was so healing to create, and it made me view my relationship with femininity, love, and culture in a new light. I feel so fortunate to have come across this collection, and this book will always hold a special place in my heart.

Process

Mood board of colorful zines and magazine spreads with expressive typography and bold, saturated color — Layout inspiration

Historical references

Grid of ten fashion photographs of women in richly embroidered lehengas and saris, jewelry and flowers — Torani photography

Six layout variations of the Vibhav chapter opener, each pairing a photo of a woman in an embroidered lehenga with a chartreuse or dark green text page — Variations

Final Vibhav chapter opener: a photo of a woman in an embroidered lehenga beside a deep purple page with lavender type — Final Layout

Full Book

Not loading? Open the full issue (PDF, 17 MB).

Collection, photography, and original captions by Torani. A student project, not affiliated with the brand.