He sent down showstoppers Shahid Kapur and Arjun Kapoor in heavy eye make-up and a man bun… Designer KUNAL RAWAL shares tips on male dressing as PRATISHTHA MALHOTRA takes notes.
Many men lack a personal fashion sense, where do you think most of them go wrong?
I think the fashion scene in our country is changing considerably for men. There is a lot of good noise about it in terms of e-commerce and this year happens to be the year of menswear as well. The industry is also improving as there is a lot of information which is helping educate people. Now people are finding their style depending on their personality or space – there is no right or wrong. Today even when we talk about brands, people are more in sync with fashion. Minds are moving in the right direction. Women are far more up for experimenting with accessories and design but men are still a little scared to experiment. They somewhere follow the old school notion of dressing like their father did, say in a white shirt and brown trousers with formal shoes for work. They would allow for very minor tweaking. Fashion though is about finding yourself and experimenting. But today, thanks to the youth, you are seeing a revolution.
Looking at the actors in Bollywood, who do you think has a great sense of style?
All these actors are actors because they have a certain X factor. They are great looking guys, are sticklers for perfection when it comes to their health and style, are well groomed and have different personalities and that is where fashion comes into play.
Ranbir (Kapoor)’s style statement is very classic but, on the other hand, he is also sporty chic. He has one of the most enviable collections of high tops and sneakers, with a great hat and a snap bag collection as well.
Ranveer (Singh) has a great sense of style. He pushes the envelope and that is what fashion is about. It is about showing your personality and being yourself. It is art, but wearable art and you get to say so much without saying a word.
Shahid (Kapoor) looks great in classics too as he is so classically good looking but he goes a lot for comfort as well. He is very well educated in terms of international fashion trends as well. He knows what suits him, what doesn’t suit him and what his strengths are. What makes life easier for him and me is that most styles suit him and he likes to experiment with new things a lot.
I like Fawad (Khan)’s style a lot too. He is like a breath of fresh air because everyone is going out there and is doing too much and here is someone who likes to keep it simple. He is very well dressed.
Varun (Dhawan), like Shahid, also likes comfort. Both of them are very high on energy, which is a good thing because there are not many people who have that. A lot of stuff which might look crazy on other people does not look crazy on them. Varun is someone who has fun with his clothes and is unabashed about it. Also when you are fit, you can have so much fun with fashion.
Arjun (Kapoor) is someone who is finding his style right now. He loves his comfort. He has a big jacket and T-shirt fetish and has a fabulous structure. He is very subtle and not at all pompous about his great shoulders.
Imran (Khan) is someone who is also very chic, loves his formals and is very preppy with his style. He also has the body for it as well. He plays a lot with his socks and that is something people don’t even think of as they feel no one is looking at them. But it is a fashion accessory and it does a lot to your outfit. Talking about preppy, another actor who is continuously changing his style is Anil Kapoor – I mean, just look at him, his carriage is mind blowing! I love the way he has been wearing his sneakers – obviously cleaner ones – but he is always reinventing.
