FASHIONABLY EARLY

Nachiket Barve,fashion designer, is of the opinion that Aisha’s look may not be accepted by the average Indian. He says,“The look has a limited profile. Women in their early 20s —like Sonam — may love to replicate Aisha’s frocks and jackets. The who’s who too may make a dash to own a similar clothesline. But Aisha’s look would take its own sweet time to catch on with the masses. It is not something that one can wear to work. Indians don’t have the lifestyle to carry off the look. Also,the Indian body type is very different from that of foreigners. Such dresses look great only on the Western body type.”

According to the designers,the Indian fashion industry is driven by the middle-class rather than the affluent few. They say that it’s a known fact that for a certain look to transcend to the streets of Mumbai,it needs to be accepted by the masses. Designer Pria Kataria Puri says,“The real test is to find a connect with the middle-class.” Ask her if Aisha’s fashion will find a connect among the masses and she answers in the negative. She says,“There are a lot of jackets worn in the film. Mumbai doesn’t have the right weather for jackets. It’s climate is more suitable for shawls and scarves. The case maybe different for girls in Amritsar or Delhi,who may want to try out the jackets. ”

Designer Niharika Khan feels that though the dresses look great on Sonam — who has the perfect Western body— they won’t be able to make a mark in the Indian market.

She says,“If the film is a hit,people might flock to copy Aisha’s style. But that will be a trend that will die out soon. Indians—especially women— don’t have the typical body type to carry off these vintage dresses. I think that people are smart enough to figure out the styling that suits them and dress accordingly. The dress would look good on girls who are quite thin and they are already wearing these outfits. So the market for Aisha’s look is quite limited.”

Sonam’s wardrobe is a mix of clothes from New York (designer,local,vintage and thrift),Indian designers and foreign brands like Dior. Qureshi,who styled Sonam’s look for the movie,was briefed by producer Rhea Kapoor to come up with a style that was feminine,flirty,delicate and fun. The confident designer says,“Every young girl in the country will line up to have the Aisha wardrobe,once the film releases.”

Kunal Rawal,who styled the look for Abhay Deol in the film,is pretty confident that the actor’s look will find a connect among the masses. “Anyone can put Abhay’s look together. All men possess a suit. They only needs to match it with the right shirt and tie.” Will the look have knock-offs? “Surely,not everyone can afford a Dior dress or a Tuscan Verve suit. Instead of picking up the black-pointed Dior shoes worn by Abhay in the film,men can replicate it with similar shoes of cheaper brands,” says Rawal. Designers add that the look will surely make way for desi remakes too. “If Aisha’s look is loved,we might just see girls teaming up the frock with a churidar or wearing them over slacks or a pair of jeans,” says Puri.