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Simply, stylish
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From Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan to Fardeen Khan , celebrity designer Shaahid Amir has created the `look' for several Bollywood stars. He talks to T. KRITHIKA REDDY about the essence of his style
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PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO
REALISTIC TOUCH TO FASHION Designer Shaahid Amir with Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan
He is the man behind several Bollywood `looks.' Aamir Khan's tapori get up in "Rangeela", Fardeen Khan's hot image in "No Entry", Viveik Oberoi's rugged appearance in "Dum", Saif Ali Khan's freshness in "Hum Tum", and Tusshar Kapoor's cool style in "Kya Kool Hain Hum." But celebrity designer Shaahid Amir hasn't had enough of Bollywood.
"I want to do as many films as possible before I get into serious retail and branding of my clothes for the international market," says the designer, who made his Chennai debut at Studio Saks, Gopalapuram, recently. It was a men's line all right. But women turned up in droves! Quite naturally, to catch a glimpse of Bollywood actor and style icon Fardeen Khan, for whom Shaahid has been personal designer for over a decade.
Clean lines
His clothes rely on clean lines and clear tones, for Shaahid believes "there is no need to break rules in fashion."
Says the jazz dancer-exotic cookie-and-cake-maker-turned-designer, "This whole Indo-West wind in fashion is boring. It's crass to see brides wearing corsets and fitted lehengas. Because of such a fusion, the essence of bridal wear — the beauty of pure feminine, delicate and regal style — has disappeared. To me, fashion is either totally ethnic or out-and-out Western. There's no need for departures in between."
That summer is about simplicity and white is the colour to build the wardrobe around is evident in Shaahid's lines at Saks. "To me, style is about relaxed, unpretentious and uncomplicated looks."
The shirts and kurtas in cotton and silk "will appeal to people looking for a change in dressing. There are abstract prints and the colours range from pristine white and basic black to masculine earth tones. I'm not expensive. Not cheap either. Look at the detailing and the finish," he says pointing out to a finely tailored pinstripe shirt in slate (range starts at Rs. 1,700).
So what exactly is Shaahid's edge? "It's practical, wearable clothes. My approach to fashion — on screen and off it — is realistic. The stars I've dressed don't wear unimaginable colours or outlandish styles. My creations are clothes, not costumes. There's no shock value." But there's the designer's occasional whimsy as is evident in some of the shirts that have an unfinished look.
Lessons from Bollywood
Having worked with just about all the stars (even Amitabh Bachchan for Romesh Sharma's Hinglish film "Dil Jo Bhi Kahein"), Shaadid says, "Bollywood has taught me a lot of lessons. I've learnt how to get work done. And that's a big thing as far as filmdom goes. But doing `clothes' for films is time-consuming. It cuts into your retail time."
About his experience with the Dubai royalty, Shaahid says, "It was great to do couture for them. I was picked up in a BMW from the airport and put up at Emirates Towers. I wasn't allowed to take the measurements, they were given! And there were no fitting sessions. It was a thoroughly ostentatious line for various functions that led up to a wedding in the royal family."
Advertisements too
Besides films and music videos (Adnan Sami's "Kabhi Nahin" with Amitabh), Shaahid's work is evident in a host of advertisements too. The Pepsi commercials involving Sachin Tendulkar and Fardeen Khan and Saif Ali Khan's Lays are some of the works in which the designer has left his imprint.
"Ads are a different ball game. All the knowledge gained from my tryst with commercials has helped me evolve a philosophy about branding. And about how to sell," says the designer, whose other passion is wildlife. "My studio is a place for lame dogs and wounded birds. I can't wait for my holiday in the wilderness of Kanha."
T. KRITHIKA REDDY
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