It’s Personal

personal stylist and grooming consultant.

Shah belongs to a fashion-savvy world,where appearances are of more importance than before. While celebrity styling is old news,personal styling is attracting more takers. The reasons vary — some styling queries are occasion-driven whereas others are about smart

dressing in general,and maximising the utility of one’s wardrobe. Dhimaan Shah,who has founded the personal styling portal StyleCracker with fashion industry insider Archana Walavalkar,says,“The tricky part is picking the right look for you — that’s where we come in. At StyleCracker,we tell you what to buy and

how to wear it,taking into account factors such as your personality,body type,aspirations,social life,geographical limitations and budget.” His month-old site has experienced stylists offering wardrobe solutions,apart from catering to event-based requirements including weddings,holidays and corporate workshops.

Mansi Kapadia,who runs the styling studio Ra in Bandra and has been in this field for more than seven years,believes that image consulting has gained priority due to the soaring competition in the corporate world and the growth of the independent working class with sufficient disposable income. “We have an array of services — from image makeovers and personal shopping for men and women to special packages for brides,grooms and corporates. We also cater to homemakers,moms-to-be,and people who don’t have the time to shop,” she says.

The bridal styling packages are the biggest money spinners. Stylist Nisha Kundnani says,“I don’t do much personal styling due to my celeb-styling commitments,ads and editorial shoots. But,I have taken on some brides as clients and eventually,I plan to give more time to bridal styling.” She has already taken two of her clients — slated to get married in September — for a spot of personal shopping.

Of late,personal styling has attracted many young guns. MISU consultants,for instance,has been founded by Mitali Sagar and Summiya Patni. The former,a graduate in fine arts,apparel merchandising and art history,joined hands with Patni,who holds a degree in jewellery design and manufacturing,in 2011. Today,besides offering styling services,they also have an in-house fashion label,House of MISU,which produces trendy clothing and accessories. But their USP,they say,is that they are “stylists for everyone”. “We wish to be considered as accessible,and have been using social media platforms rigorously to get the word out to more people,” says Patni.

Stylists often offers value-added services. At Kapadia’s studio,a client walks away with a 40-colour swatch wallet telling one what colours would be suitable. Similarly,taking a make up or style consultation helps one get a style booklet. StyleCracker has a fun personality test,which gives the team an insight into clients’ lifestyle choices. “It updates us on any reservations they may have,” says Walavalkar. The portal also has an event StyleCracker Borough,where they put

together a posse of talented designers from various price points and give them the opportunity to showcase their work. Another feature is their 24×7 access. Walavalkar says that people from the US and Middle-East,too,seek their services.

This success has spawned new initiatives. While Kapadia aims at interacting with clients through newsletters,style/season updates and at least one workshop/exhibition a month,the currently women-centric StyleCracker is planning to launch its men’s section soon.