Karan Johar

In Bollywood Fashion, Celebs, Fashion, News, trends

Bollywood Fashion: When celebs turn designers

Speaking ChicFebruary 11, 2015February 11, 2015Leave a comment

WANTED: Fashion designer

Must-have qualities: Should be famous

Design experience required: Nil

Since Indian celebrities have peddled everything from cars to rice to fairness creams, it’s time for some fashion endorsements. Fashion brands (Indian and otherwise) recently began begun following the global trend of getting celebrities to design fashion clothing and accessories. Internationally, a number of celebrities have their own fashion and fragrance lines like Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Beyonce… you get the drift, but closer home, times are a-changing now.

These celebrities dress fashionably and have a great sense of style (or a great team of stylists). Here are some Bollywood celebrities who have created their own clothing lines for well-known fashion brands. Design experience: not required!

Gauri Khan for Satya Paul

The most recent entry in this field, the star wife turned fashionista turned interior designer is now trying her hand at fashion. Gauri Khan is creating her signature line of clothing and accessories for Satya Paul called “A Tropical Wonder”. Expect abstract art and digital prints on casual and occasional wear separates like sheer tunics, flowing kaftans, shift dresses and saris.

What: Saris, tunics, kaftans

Where: Available at Satya Paul stores

Alia Bhatt for Jabong.com

This young actor is barely a few movies old, but she got her own fashion line last year. Alia Bhatt for Jabong.com is affordable, fashionable and trendy though there are some outrageous pieces- like the metallic jeggings and two-coloured denim.

What: Tops, dresses and jeans for women

Where: Available at Jabong.com.

Karan Johar for Vero Moda

Being fashion designer is just one of Karan Johar’s various facets. This super-talented man turned designer for the chic high street brand Vero Moda with the Marquee Limited Edition collection. The collection had stylish dresses and separates, and I especially liked the party pieces (bought a cowl neck sequined top!). The clothes all had a rich feel and were packed in special shopping bags for that luxe touch.

What: Dresses, tops, jackets, skirts for women

Where: Available at select Vero Moda stores (may be sold out)

Deepika Padukone for Van Heusen

I always thought of Van Heusen as a men’s formal wear brand, till Deepika Padukone came along. In 2014, she designed two Limited Edition collections for the brand, comprising mostly formal and evening dresses with some smart separates.

What: Formal dresses

Where: Available at select Van Heusen stores (may be sold out)

Bipasha Basu for The Trunk Label

This online fashion accessories brand is “curated” by Bipasha Basu. With plenty of options and extremely affordable pieces, any girl would want to shop here!

What: Bags, shoes, jewellery

Where: Available at The Trunk Label

In 2012, Bollywood Fashion, Celebs, Interview

Chic 2012: The Bollywood Fashion Story

Speaking ChicJanuary 2, 2013January 1, 2013Leave a comment

In the movies

Cocktail’s three lead actors’ looks, all styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, were a major part of the pre-release publicity blitz. Everyone wanted to know about Diana Penty’s jumpsuit and Deepika Padukone’s skirt. And no one really asked much about Saif Ali Khan, because he looked too old to be in the movie.

No one cared much about the clothes in Ishaqzaade, though I found the costumes in the movie to be among the most intelligently designed in recent Bollywood history. I can’t imagine Parineeti Chopra’s character without the black waistcoat over a fitted kurta.

The fashion in Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Student of the Year fell flat after high expectations. But where one lacked charm and romance, the latter’s mantra was “Brands, brands, brands” without a sensible story to tell.

On the covers

The surprise fashion mag cover girl find of the year was Kalki Koechlin (Women’s Health in November and Vogue the following month), while editorial favourite Sonam Kapoor appeared in Roberto Cavalli yet again on the cover of Grazia. (Yawn).

On the small screen

Amitabh Bachchan’s jackets and bandhgalas on Kaun Banega Crorepati were superbly elegant and finely tailored by Rohit Bal. Karan Johar donned casual- dressy blazers on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, while Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss wardrobe was confusing (too many colours and styles).

Most people loved Madhuri Dixit’s Jhalak Dikhla Jaa clothes and jewellery, and her stylist made it a point to dress the actor in outfits from various Indian designers. No bodycon dresses for her!

Surprise style icon

Sridevi had been under the fashion watchers’ radar for a while now, but in 2012 she surprised everyone with a new-found, elegant look, wearing Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi. She wowed everyone when she walked for the latter in Delhi, a far cry from her stumbling ramp appearance in an ugly silver-grey gown for Neeta Lulla couple years ago.

Not (yet) an icon

Alia Bhatt may have had a big debut with Student of the Year, and appeared on two covers (Vogue and Grazia), but her personal style quotient was quite blah. The problem? She tried too hard to look cute.

In 2012, Bollywood Fashion

Bollywood Fashion: Student of the Year is all about the brands

Speaking ChicOctober 25, 2012October 25, 2012Leave a comment

Karan Johar’s movies are not known for portraying stark reality, but Student of the Year is based in a hyper-real world. The “school” in the movie (St. Teresa) is perhaps the size of Hogwarts, houses students who are impossibly multi-faceted, good-looking and rich, and even the “Bata” gang dresses in premium brands.

Brands, brands, brands!

Alia Bhatt is Shanaya, the vain bimbo, who marvels at her beauty and pampers herself with brands. You name the brand, and it’s there. Her introductory song (Gulabi Aankhein) has a chorus which mentions and features luxury brands like Manolo, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Stella McCartney. Really! Take a look:

And then begins a game of spot-the-brand. Rishi Kapoor, for instance, pops open a Burberry umbrella in the sun, and reads notes from a Louis Vuitton case/ folder. Alia Bhatt totes a Dior bag and an Hermes Birkin. Even the sportswear is sponsored- the football uniforms by Puma and the triathlon clothes by Fusion (a UK brand specialising in triathlon clothing). As for the men in the movie—they are walking-talking Ray-Ban advertisements. 😀

Key Looks

Shanaya is a feminine girl who wears mostly dresses and skirts, sometimes hot shot pants. On a normal day, she carries a Birkin, and brings a Dior bag to her school canteen. The lucky girl also wears Manish Malhotra outfits to a wedding. Her wardrobe is so out of touch with reality that she doesn’t have “hospital” clothes.

Alia’s makeup (done by Mickey Contractor) is only about red lips, and her hair is straightened and slicked back with a cutesy hairband. This lucky young lady has got to wear the best designers and brands, but it’s unfortunate to see her in a uniform look throughout the movie (pun intended).

Rohan (Varun Dhawan) and Abhimanyu (Siddharth Malhotra) are The Dudes At School, so they look good in every frame. Varun plays an aspiring musician, hence quirky prints like Mickey Mouse tshirts and the like are his statement. Siddharth Malhotra is dressed a bit more “serious”. Even so, his character is “poor” enough to be on scholarship, but can afford Quiksilver tshirts, Aviators and designer kurtas. The guys’ buff bods work well for them and are an essential part of their look, since they need to look sexy in their body-hugging sports gear.

Meanwhile, Rishi Kapoor’s gay character wears polka dotted and pink ties with mismatched shirts and blazers with quirky brooches on the lapel (like a koala bear and crystal-encrusted reptile!).

The Coolest School

The uniform of this cool “school” is pretty awesome- you can wear anything you want, as long as you wear the school blazer over it. Manish Malhotra has styled the lead actors while Shiraz Siddique and Archana Walavalkar have worked with the supporting cast.

Being a Karan Johar movie, all characters look good, wear cool clothes and are quite trendy. If I went to such a learning institution, I’d either die of brand envy or spend an hour a day choosing my wardrobe and fixing my hair and makeup. Not to mention I’d end up draining my family’s precious money on clothes. And of course, there wouldn’t be time to study. 😉

While Karan Johar has attempted to make the movie as slick as possible, but the high dose of fashion seems looks almost implausible in real life. So yeah, if you like good-looking movies, Student of the Year is for you. If you like good movies though, then you can bunk this class.

All Pictures Courtesy: Dharma Productions

In 2012, Fashion, Shopping

Chic Guide: Top 5 things to do this week

Speaking ChicJuly 10, 2012July 10, 2012Leave a comment

Get the look: Cocktail fashion @ Myntra

You know the fashion, now it’s time to get the look. Using Speaking Chic’s introduction to Cocktail fashion, shop for Cocktail-inspired fashion on Myntra.com. As the official online shopping partner of the movie, the dedicated Cocktail section features clothes and accessories inspired by three lead characters. Check out the dresses, hot pants, prints and play suits for women. For guys, there are plaid shorts, shirts, blazers, casual jackets and aviator sunglasses.

Watch: Jhalak Dikhla Ja

True, Jhalak Dikhla Ja is not the kind of show a fashion blog would recommend. But the judges’ wardrobe is a fashion treat. Madhuri Dixit’s experimental saris and sari gowns by designers like Gaurav Gupta are a must-watch, along with her anarkalis. Karan Johar is quite the fashion star too, wearing sharp jackets and blazers with interesting detailing (zips, embellished lapels). He’s being dressed by Shiraz Siddique.

Jhalak Dikhla Ja airs on Colors, Sat-Sun 9 pm.

Try and buy: Zovi

If you hesitate to buy clothes online because you’re not sure they will fit, try shopping on Zovi.com. The Zovi Eye feature is a virtual trial room, and is a webcam application that lets you view yourself in an outfit of your choice. And if the right shoe size is as elusive as the Indian tiger, the website’s “Try N Buy” is just what you need. It’s simple- try on the shoes you ordered at time of delivery, and return them if they don’t fit correctly.

PS- Try out the Zovi Eye feature here.

Grab cult flip-flops: Havaianas

Havaianas are now available in India! With their secret rubber formula, these colorful flip-flops are soft, light, durable and super comfy. I wonder how many Indians would want to spend Rs 790-3800 on chappals, but since the brand is almost a cult, I guess there should be some takers.

Shop for Havaianas at Vama, Mumbai or The Beach Company.

Block your dates: LFW W/F 2012

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012 is less than a month away. So block your calendar from August 3 to 7 to get a taste of the upcoming festive season’s trends and collections. This season, Kallol Dutta and Pankaj-Nidhi will close the five-day event, while several leading and emerging designers will present their collections. Some shows to look forward to: Wendell Rodricks, Ritu Beri, Pallavi Jaikishen and Drashta.

In 2012, Bollywood Fashion

Bollywood Fashion: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’s Kareena Kapoor dresses quirky, Imran Khan goes formal

Speaking ChicFebruary 13, 2012February 13, 2012Leave a comment

I watched Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu over the weekend, and found it a refreshing movie in more ways than one. The movie was fun, and the actors’ wardrobes were stylish, which is what you’d expect from a Dharma Productions film.

I was happy to note that Manish Malhotra (Kareena Kapoor’s designer for the movie) managed to bring an element of fun, quirkiness and style to Kareena’s wardrobe. Here’s a breakdown of Kareena’s look.

What Kareena is wearing:

Kareena plays a hair stylist Riana in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Now if you go to the salon I go to, you’d know that most young stylists have their unique way of dressing showing their creative side. Riana is just like that. She wears a range of colours, dresses casually, and looks like a chic mess. 🙂

In Las Vegas, Riana’s staple wear is layered tops with a jacket and short skirt with dark tights (it’s winter). In Mumbai she wears jeans and tees with light cotton shrugs.

Key trends:

Striped tees: Simple striped V-neck tshirts are a huge trend globally (you see them more in Europe and US than in India). With these tees, Kareena gets an instant international look.

Jackets: It’s December in Vegas, so Kareena wears all kinds of outerwear- waistcoat, leather and fleece-lined jackets.

Tight mini skirts and shorts: Kareena has curves now, but that doesn’t stop her from wearing denim and lightly-embroidered minis with black tights. Good news for us normal-sized girls.

Layering with colour mixing and lace: Manish Malhotra has very layered Kareena’s costumes by mixing colours. The looks are really colour-coordinated or matchy-matchy. Also, the ace designer has innerwear-as-outerwear a more relatable spin by giving Kareena camisoles and slips with lace on the neckline, then adding tshirts to layer. Loved that!

Accessories:

Jewellery: Kareena wears two rings on her right hand (one is a pearl) and a watch on her left. Her dangling earrings mostly comprise little charms like dull gold leaves.

Oversized bright bags: Yellow, fuchsia, blue… yum!

Manly shoes: No stilettos or sexy heeled booties for Riana, because she wears rugged men’s shoes! I loved the scene in which Kareena tottered around in Imran Khan’s shoes and complained they were too big. 😀

Scarves and stoles: Patterned and bright!

Hair and makeup:

Kareena’s hair is wild and astray, which she keeps in check with clips and pins. The red highlights suit her skin tone and style, while her lined eyes and light glossy lips keep her “real”. 🙂

Special Mention:

In the song Auntyji, Kareena Kapoor wears a gorgeous royal blue wrap dress that is feminine, classy and doesn’t reveal much (she’s out with her family after all). You can’t help liking that one!

Imran Khan’s look:

Styled by Shiraz Siddique, Imran Khan is all grown up in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Dubbed appropriately as a “tightass” by Riana, Rahul is formal and stiff. His colours are mostly black and grey and he wears only slim fit shirts, trousers and cardigans. That’s right, no jeans or tshirts for Imran Khan.

The only hint of colour was the green V-neck cardigan Imran wears while hanging out with Kareena in Vegas.

But if there’s one thing I could steal from his wardrobe, it would be the light blue shirt with white collar he wore in Mumbai. Paired with khakis, that was as casual or semi-formal as Imran’s character could get.

Chic surprise of the movie: Statement neckpieces

Whoever thought Ratna Pathak Shah could be so convincing as a South Mumbai socialite? This talented woman plays Imran Khan’s mother with a chic hair do, lots of attitude and is always dressed to the T. Most importantly, she can’t do without her Louis Vuitton luggage, and has a penchant for oversized neckpieces, which she carries off with a high-brow pout and smirk.

My favourite neckpiece is the one she wears at the formal dinner she hosts, large baubles and all. (Sorry, couldn’t find the picture). But here she is on the way to the opera.

What did you think of the costumes in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu?

In Celebs

Guys, would you wear velvet like Big B?

Speaking ChicOctober 12, 20103 Comments

Amitabh Bachchan kicked off the season premiere of Kaun Banega Crorepati 4 last night with a song-dance-monologue performance, wearing a velvet suit, among other outfits designed by Vikram Phadnis. The suit had a crest of sorts over the left breast pocket and on the back, in what seems to be zardosi work.

(FYI, in the quiz show Amitabh Bachchan will be wearing bespoke Ravi Bajaj suits).

Noteworthy: Mr Bachchan has worn velvet earlier. Last week, he walked the ramp for Karan Johar and Varun Bahl at HDIL India Couture Week in a long black double breasted coat with a high velvet collar.

Seinfeld’s George Costanza once said, “I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable.” Seems like his time has come.

So guys, would you drape yourself in velvet? Tell us!