Life and Style

If some of the country’s noted fashion stylists are to be believed,the green room is a place where chaos,drama,debauchery and narcissism rule. For those are the four themes explored in what is being touted as India’s first-ever fashion art book unveiled recently by luxury retail concept store,The Collective. The Green Room features the multi-designer store’s Autumn-Winter 2013 collection and also brings together nine well-known fashion and celebrity stylists,who have depicted the “behind-the-scenes” action in individual interpretations. So,while Ami Patel and Anaita Shroff Adajania work on portraying ‘Drama’,Archana Walavalkar and Nitasha Gaurav tackle ‘Narcissism’,Ekta Rajani and Mohit Rai and Aastha Sharma deal with ‘Chaos’ and Niharika Bhasin Khan and Kushal Parmanand re-interpret ‘Debauchery’. The result is a sleek looking book with visuals captured by photographer Saurabh Dua.

At a time when stylists associated with fashion magazines,films and red carpet dressing have become instrumental in pushing fashion beyond the purview of the ramp and impacting public opinion,this book portrays them as the stars of the show. “The book was our way of recognising the pivotal role that fashion stylists play,not only in influencing fashion statements but also in defining fashion for their clientele,” says R. Sathyajit,COO,International Brands and New Businesses,Madura Fashion & Lifestyle,the store’s parent company.

For the stylists too,it’s clearly their moment in the sun. “It’s the year of the stylist,” says celebrity stylist Archana Walavalkar,co-founder,StyleCracker. “A fashion stylist’s role is almost like that of a director of a production. A layperson looks at an image but doesn’t see the thought process and vision behind it,” she adds,hoping the book will go some ways in reinforcing the importance of her profession.

With the key requirement being creativity,the nine stylists were given access to the store’s vast repertoire of international labels and three models. “The concept was different and interesting. And the shoot was entirely my baby; my canvas to interpret the way I saw fit,” says Ami Patel,creative director,Harper’s Bazaar.

Furthermore,apart from the book,The Collective has also launched the “Stylist Program”,which aims to connect its customers with these professionals through style evenings and in-store events. With the emphasis on personal style and grooming growing by the day,it’s clear that fashion stylists are now stepping out of the shadows and playing a starring role in the fashion sweepstakes. “With celebrities under constant scrutiny,the role of the stylist is gaining significance. While in the west the scene is saturated,in India it’s still growing. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” promises Patel.