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<h1 class="centre">What can true liberation look like when viewed through the lens of desire and acceptance? This question was posed at the beginning of our collaboration for dirty’s digital cover starring Gillian Anderson. What initially began as an opportunity to channel our creative energy soon transformed into something far more profound. In connecting with Gillian and her platform, G Ode, we discovered a shared vision and a deeper sense of purpose, one that has shaped this explorative manual into something truly special.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Gillian’s body of work—from her iconic roles to her personal advocacy—has consistently centred around the exploration of female desire, empowerment, and the complexities of the feminine experience, it seemed apt that this manual delves into those themes with conviction. The art of pleasure and its foundational principles find space equal space next to an interrogation into the literary world of female fantasy; elsewhere, women pioneering the fight against disrupting patriarchal systems share their heartfelt stories of trials and tribulations with dirty.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Gillian’s body of work—from her iconic roles to her personal advocacy—has consistently centred around the exploration of female desire, empowerment, and the complexities of the feminine experience, it seemed apt that this manual delves into those themes with conviction. The art of pleasure and its foundational principles find space equal space next to an interrogation into the literary world of female fantasy; elsewhere, women pioneering the fight against disrupting patriarchal systems share their heartfelt stories of trials and tribulations with dirty.</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">“Do we all feel free to explore our deepest fantasies and desires? Do we dare ask for what we really truly want?  The reaction to my book WANT started the most profound and astonishing conversations, and whilst it may be a universal theme, our cultures, upbringings, friends and relatives shape so much of what enables us to really feel free not just intimately but in our everyday lives no matter where in the world we live.  dirty has been at the forefront of platforming progressive conversations in India and I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to build conversations with them on my platform G Ode to understand more through the South Asian Lens. International Women’s Month felt like the perfect time to share what we have been working on together.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Thank you Kshitij and team dirty— we hope what’s to come sparks curiosity and conversation.” </h1>

<h1 class="centre">— Gillian Anderson</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">INSIDE</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Continuing the momentum Gillian and the dirty team had built over this cover, the idea of constructing a digital dossier that encapsulates tales told by women, of women fighting for agency, identity, and addressing gender politics across fields, felt like a beautiful unpacking of nesting dolls, one complex layer after another. In Between the Lines, Meghna Yesudas pens a bittersweet parallel that navigates love in a chronically online world, comparing it with a trove of love letters she stumbled upon, addressed to her mother in the prime of her youth. Where secret exchanges and the art of banter dictated her pleasure principles, in Regional Erotica, we spoke to the authors writing erotic stories geared towards women.</h1>

<h1 class="left">Elsewhere in Having The Talk, renowned sexpert Seema Anand expounds that thought as she spearheads a conversation with peers working in the realm of sex education through social networks. These women have built ecosystems that help others relinquish the attached shame of expressing desire. While there’s progress, there’s much more work yet to be done to disrupt a system that has robbed generations of women of their agency. That thought drives the powerful narrative of the four women in our folio The New Resistance. Sanjana Sheth speaks to journalist Anubha Bhonsle, a firsthand witness to the crimes that have put the country on edge, and who has worked tirelessly to be the microphone that brings these stories to light. Women’s rights lawyer Flavia Agnes, has dedicated her life to fighting these very battles for justice in the courtroom. Activist Trisha Shetty tells us about building forums where women can find sanctuary, something which trauma psychotherapist Neha Bhat has patiently led, by helping them regain balance and reclaim their lives.</h1>

<h1 class="left">When put together, the two initial ideas of desire and liberation opened many windows of inquiry— leading to a discourse that unravelled in many unanticipated ways that oscillated between joy and pain. A reminder of why there’s always space for stories that help move the needle on dirty.</h1>

<h1 class="left">Kshitij Kankaria,</h1>

<h1 class="left">Editor-in-chief</h1>

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<h1 class="left">CREDITS:</h1>

<h1 class="left">Editor-in-Chief: Kshitij Kankaria</h1>

<h1 class="left">Photographer: Douglas Irvine</h1>

<h1 class="left">Art Direction: Joshua Davidson</h1>

<h1 class="left">Stylist: Martha Ward</h1>

<h1 class="left">Set Designer: Daisy Azis</h1>

<h1 class="left">Hair Stylist: Paul Jones</h1>

<h1 class="left">Make-Up Artist: Amanda Grossman</h1>

<h1 class="left">Production: TIAGI</h1>

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<h1 class="left">Talent Team:</h1>

<h1 class="left">Creative Direction: Nimi Raja</h1>

<h1 class="left">Talent PR: Laura Symons</h1>

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<h1 class="left">Digital Editor: Shriya Zamindar</h1>

<h1 class="left">Managing Editor: Anurag Sharma</h1>

<h1 class="left">Art Director: Tia Chinai</h1>

<h1 class="left">Graphic Designer: Rishika Sikder</h1>

<h1 class="left">Executive Producer: Chantelle-Shakila Tiagi</h1>

<h1 class="left">Production Manager: Zim Uddin</h1>

<h1 class="left">1st Photo Assistant: Tom Buller</h1>

<h1 class="left">2nd Photo Assistant: Andrew Edward</h1>

<h1 class="left">1st AC: Richard Cook</h1>

<h1 class="left">Styling Assistant: Jessica Miller</h1>

<h1 class="left">Set Assistant: Madeline Crowe</h1>

<h1 class="left">Production Assistant: Emir Tekin</h1>

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