Random musings

To the common eye it’s a red dress, to a fashionista it’s a beautiful red drape dress, to a fashion writer it’s yards of fabric (silk/chiffon/tulle) in rose red, skillfully swathed to hug ones curves at the right places. This post is not really as random as it may seem. It’s my reaction (purely a point of view) to a whole lot of presumptions, assumptions and misconceptions about fashion journalism. For reasons unknown to me there are a whole lot of people who conveniently believe that the easiest thing in the world is to write about fashion. While it’s no rocket science, it still requires just as much as creativity and spontaneity as does writing about any other topic under the sun.
It’s one thing to spot a painted wooden bangle at a store and know it would look great if worn, but to describe the smoothness of it’s finish, the intricacy of it’s design, the vibrancy of its colour and actually coax the reader into coveting it, well that’s a whole different game. When you write about a pair of jeans you don’t just stop with describing it’s fit and cut (even a press release can do that) but actually go on to tell what it can do to a thin woman, a fat woman, a tall woman or a petite woman. And unless what you write actually helps the reader in making sensible wardrobe decisions, they do not come back to read your column. The fashion world is filled with complexities, paradoxes and even eccentricities, decoding these complexities that keep the average Joe/Jill from the joys of high fashion is what a true blue fashion writer does.

Pret-a-porter

The pursuit for affordable sartorial indulgences ends with designer pret

Anybody who loves good clothes would agree that a beautiful garment is an unfathomable source of joy; the most mood lifting of all therapies. My mother never fails to reminisce of the times when every birthday/festival/ special occasion would mean a trip to Mangharams or India Silk House, the then popular textile stores, where yards of taffeta silk, hakoba, net nylon and casement would be purchased only to be transformed into fine-looking skirts, blouses, dresses, shirts and pinafores by the handy family tailor. Readymade garments were scoffed at and considered more of a last resort as finding the perfect size and fit was a rare occurrence with off the rack clothes.
Westernisation and a remarkable turnaround in the pace of lives popularized ready-mades. Custom made clothes soon became more of a once in a while indulgence with retailers like Boston, Sarang, Sharkskin, London Stores, Raymond, Naidu hall etc redefining the way people looked at ready-to-wear clothes. Sizes were precise, choices many and soon shopping around for that perfect fabric and running behind an absent minded tailor, who almost always had a labor problem seemed like a very cumbersome process. Unlike before when the middle class urbanite mostly associated good clothes with the celebration of a significant occasion, today a sartorial indulgence is more about celebrating oneself, which means shopping more often and investing only in clothes that look good and feel good, which is why the affordability and allure of designer prêt have made it an easy winner.
Until very recently designer wear meant expensive and opulent clothing that was the preserve of the very wealthy and the affluent. Indian designers sat in their studios and drew creations for a select clientele that primarily comprised of rich socialites and Non Resident Indians. The clothes were termed haute couture and the creations priced at nothing less than a small fortune. But soon the burgeoning middle class with its increasing disposable income and growing aspirations to look wealthy had the entire designer world succumbing to the lure of prêt, with cleverly cut, chic designer wear being available within a very affordable price bracket of Rs 300-3000. World over any fashion house’s primary income is derived of prêt. Couture serves to indulge the designer’s creative urges but is hardly as lucrative as prêt. And the consumer is hardly complaining because designer prêt means availing the style sensibilities of Ritu Kumar or Vivek Karunakaran at a little less than a thousand rupees. It might mean a few sequins less but it’s designer wear any way.
Pic courtesy: label Ascot designer pret by Vivek Karunakaran

Reel fashion was never more real

From outlandish and bizarre to chic, made–to–fit and comfortable, Kollywood’s style sensibilities have come a long way over the years

Unlike inanimate magazine photospreads and split second runway appearances, in films, as clothes and accessories are set to motion and given context, fashion comes alive.Which is why world over, fashion or the fashionability of cinema never fails to have a direct impact on retail. But for ‘A Place in the Sun’ (1951) or ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’(1994) the ‘White party dress’ or the ‘ventilated choli’ would neither have received the same mass appeal nor have sold numerous replicas. Closer home, Kollywood itself has seen many an onscreen style translate to street fashion and something that’s difficult to ignore is how over the years, the industry’s style sensibilities have come a long way from outlandish and bizarre to chic, made–to–fit and comfortable. There is still the ‘odd’ shocking pink harem pant in a Vijay dance sequence, but one look at Meghna (Vaaranam Aayiram), Karthik (Unnaale Unnale) and you know wearable fashion is now more the norm than an exception.
Much has changed since the costumer gave way to the stylist and brocade gave way to chiffons. Film fashion today is a lot more practical and even accessible. “Nobody wants to wear something very uncomfortable, neither do actors. Definitely, there is still a tendency to look for something a little larger than life while shopping for a film, but not to the extent that it’s impractical”, explains stylist Nalini Shriram. Does the probability of the costume or style catching on with the audience determine the wearability of the outfit in anyway? “If something catches on, it feels wonderful. But there are a million other larger issues like the background colour, lighting etc to be concerned about while designing for a film. So it’s virtually impossible to actually think in terms of how well the outfit would work with the retail market” she clarifies.
It’s not a rare occurrence anymore when you notice that the nicely cut shirt on your favourite actor is the exact same one that you were eyeballing at the mall the other day, only worn with a clever twist. Most stylists today claim shopping out of regular places like Lifestyle and Addidas that are known for their very stylish yet wearable clothes. “It normally depends on the budget of the film. If the budget is huge, we customize the costumes and if we have to work within a smaller budget we shop around. But as a rule costumes are never hired to ensure exclusivity”, says Designer Sidney Sladen.
We’ve seen the CEO (Sanjay Ramaswamy in Ghazini), the working woman (Divya in Autograph), the yuppie( Anbarasu in Anbae Sivam) , the school teacher (Maya in Kaakha Kaakha) and the college goer (Munna in Boys) and what’s difficult to ignore is that styling has played a crucial role in lending credibility to these characters. Sanjay Ramaswamy in a velvet jacket or Divya in a brocade salwar would never have had the same impact. Says stylist Erum Ali, “Nowadays there are some directors who go down to the last detail and specify everything from the motifs to the shade of the colour to be used when the character’s clothes have a lot to do with the image portrayed.” “This especially happens when you’re styling a villain. There are a lot of times when you are asked to use black or black leather”, agrees Sidney.
With regards to film fashion the differences between reel and real have blurred to the extent that sometimes outfits designed for a film actually find their way into the actor’s personal wardrobe. “I had put aside a very beautiful sherwani that I had designed for one of Abbas’s films and did not get used and it works well for special occasions”, laughs Erum. While designing for an actor I normally choose to keep their film look separate from their regular look, but there are lots of instances when they want a particular style or outfit replicated for their own wardrobe” says Sidney.

Fire and Ice

Gold epitomizes plush luxury and silver exudes understated glam. Wear them both together and the amalgamation is nothing less than dramatic.

What’s Diwali minus the bling? The exotic zari that borders our kanjeevarams, the intricately woven embroidery in lehngas and cholis, the mirrors that adorn clay diyas and the silver that we so lovingly scatter on our mithai’s are all metaphorical of prosperity and abundance, which is precisely what the festival is all about. While our country’s love affair with gold and silver is legendary, combining these two ‘attention demanding’ colours was always considered a faux pas until now. However this season, from Marc Jacobs to Manish Malhotra, everybody seems to be embracing the trend of blending the two show stopping hues together.
In the world of fashion when you do something which is not supposed to be done it always turns heads, which explains D&G models strutting down the runway in mirrored black dresses with chunky gold necklaces and Manish Malhotra’s silvery gray saris with gold borders that came down the ramp, breaking one of fashion’s golden rules and kicking off a raging trend. With A-listers like Paris Hilton, Gywenyth Paltrow also having given the style the affirmative nod and this being the festival season, it perfectly works for us that gold and silver are the season’s new neutrals, that it’s no more a critical either/or choice you have to make and that both these colours can now happily co-exist.

Dress code

• To produce an effect that’s chic and not gaudy tone down bright silver with dull gold or vice versa
• The two tone effect increases wearability which means with a little thought you can mix and match with a larger palette of colours
• For minimalist chic opt for a look that also uses neutrals like black, white or beige
• If your outfit or accessories are overdosed with two toned bling, stay away from metallic shades for hair and make up. You don’t want to end up looking like a Christmas tree

Who, What, Wear?

Choose from pre-stitched saris, bias cut kurtas and brightly coloured kurta pyjama sets to make heads turn this Diwali

Shopping for Diwali is a ritual in itself that is more religiously observed by most of us than the traditional oil soak or bhai dooj. As amusing as it may seem even the most culture confused of NRIs and Gen X brats confess doing the rounds for an embellished silk lehnga or at least a cocktail sari to flaunt during the festival. With numerous silhouettes, cuts and fabrics to choose from it’s now that much more easier to invest in ethnic wear that’s both comfortable and chic. We have 5 top Indian designers, each known for their unique style sensibilities, telling you what works this year


Designer Kavitha Bhartia
Trademark style: Experimental and re inventive designs
“I think this year it’s all about having a little fun with the sari. Pre-stitched saris work great for this fun festival that is all about get-togethers, meeting people and parties. Embellishments are minimal allowing a lot of experimentation with mixing of different types of fabric. Accessorise the sari with metallic bags and embellished footwear.”

Designer Rina Dhaka
Trademark style: Bold and offbeat
“It’s the perfect time for well preserved hand me downs. Blacks, navys, bottle greens and midnight blues are the colours to look for. Choose a style that works for your body type. It’s very important to go Indian and western wear and fusion dressing is a complete no no.”


Designer Varun Bahl
Trademark style: mix of old world charm and contemporary chic
“It’s neither about bling nor minimalism. It’s all about individualism. Light ghagras or anarkalis work for women and men can abandon the usual white and black kurta pyjama sets for brightly coloured ones.”

Designer Sonam Dubal
Trademark style: fusion of eastern traditions with western aesthetics
“Opt for a causal meets formal look. Tunics with craft oriented intricate embellishments teamed with jeans and accessorized with a beautifully textured and printed scarf or stole works well for women. Men can opt for ikat or pin tuck kurtas.”

Designer Nikasha Tawadey
Trademark style: Bohemian chic
“Wear a nice bias cut kurta (anarkali if it works for your body type) paired with churidhar or salwar pants, depending on the wearer’s comfort, with a brocade waist coat and pretty kohlapuris or gold wedges. Accessorise with just one statement piece.”