Designs on Bollywood

More designers are now dictating the B-town look, finds TOI.

Everyone seems to be making the transition to Bollywood �� singers, TV stars and now designers. And they��re all set to give the clothes worn by the stars on-screen a more evolved, trendy look.
Aki Narula is now styling Kareena Kapoor in Kambakkht Ishq, and promises she��ll be, ��India��s answer to Sarah Jessica Parker��. Then there��s Anamika Khanna, who��s been getting rave reviews for Sonam Kapoor��s Dilli girl look in Delhi 6.
Aki, who��s also working on Karan Johar��s next film, feels Indian on-screen style was looked down on. ��I changed that perception and created some of the most talked about screen-to-street trends. While Manish Malhotra gave Bollywood the glam look, we��re now trying to create the look that goes well with the director��s vision, the script and the character,�� explains Aki.
Anamika Khanna says the brief given to her for Sonam��s Delhi 6 look was very clear. ��It��s a realistic Chandni Chowk kind of look,�� she says, adding, ��Directors now understand and respect our work. They see how important our work is in bringing the characters to life.��

What pull does Bollywood hold for fashion designers? Narendra Kumar, who created Big B��s and Sanjay Dutt��s look in Aladdin, says, ��There��s a lot of marketing involved and designers are creating something that will reach millions of people. Instead of a 15-minute fashion show, their work will be on-screen for more than two hours,�� he says.
But what happens when design creativity clashes with stereotypes? ��While I was doing Luck By Chance, sometimes the cast didn��t approve of a few creations. But the matter was taken up with the director, who usually went with my sense of design,�� says fashion designer Aparna Chandra.

Designer duo Shantanu Nikhil, however, still hasn��t ventured into doing all the designs for Bollywood movies. ��We��ve only designed for a few scenes in a particular movie. In Billu, we designed outfits for Shah Rukh Khan in a few scenes,�� says Nikhil. However, he cautions, ��Though designing for Bollywood may get you instant recognition and good money, if your work is not accepted by the audience, the industry might think twice about giving you a second chance,�� he says.

Also See Kareena Kapoor��s Homepage

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