Reach for the stars

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">While designers are wooing Bollywood, Ashley Rebello is happy designing for Oscar-winning directors. Read on to find out about the outfits that he made for Nicole Kidman and more.<br />When the makers of Moulin Rouge approached Ashley, they were looking for an image of India...<br />When we think about Indian outfits, we feel it''s all about the sari or the salwar kurta.But they were looking for an India that they had read about in books and not seen in Bollywood films. Like bright colours, elephants and embroidery.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">It was flattering to design for Nicole Kidman</span><br />I made two outfits for her. One ink blue one and another ivory coloured one. She wore both for the finale. But I didn''t get to meet her. We spoke on the phone and were in touch on e-mail, but otherwise it was just the measurements that were sent to me.<br />If Bollywood didn''t smother him with offers after that, it''s because he was already working on some more foreign films<br />I have just finished work on La Porta Delle 7 Stella. The director Pasquale Pozzessere is an Oscar winner. I have done the outfits for the entire cast in the second half of the film.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">So what makes the phirangs prefer Ashley to other Bollywood designers?</span><br />Actually, I owe all this to my all-time guru Aruna Hariprasad. She works with foreign filmmakers and has got me most of my assignments. Incidentally she is also the Maharani of Drangadra. She even got me the Campari ad that I did for Tarsem Singh.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">More on La Porta...</span><br />It''s based on a son''s search for his mother who has an Indian connection and he loses her when she comes to work with the Lamani tirbe from Rajasthan. And La Porta Delle 7 Stella means the door to the seven stars.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">This brings us to phillum stars ...</span><br />There''s Kaante coming up where I''ve given Isha Koppikar and Malaika Arora a great look.Then there''s Uff Kya Jadoo Mohabbat, where Sooraj Barjatya''s brother Rajat makes his directorial debut. I have done the clothes for the entire cast of this film.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What about personal wardrobes?</span><br />Well, I just made a few shaadi outfits for Sonali Bendre and she said people wouldn''t stop complimenting her. Also there''s Dimple, Twinkle, Rinke Khanna and of course, Tabu.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What next?</span><br />A store in Bandra in a few months. But I don''t want to call it a store. It''s going to be a chill zone. Where you don''t just come to buy clothes. Just have champagne and coffee.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">But how would that help business?</span><br />Well, my prospective clients will start liking me and then feel committed to buy my clothes. </div> </div>