Food For Thought
91
In a now deleted post on Facebook, designer Rohit Bal bared his personal thoughts on the current scene of Bollywood celebrities, Fashion glossies and stylists.
Thoughts?
Correction: The post was originally written by Shahab Durazi and shared by Rohit Bal.
 
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Original post pic courtesy of TheStyle.World.
Kudos to Rohit Bal for being brave & saying it out loud . There is def favoritism in Bollywood for certain designers and it’s becoming more apparent as time goes, one barely sees celebs wear Rohit Bal or JJ vallaya and other talented designers coz thy are not sucking up to Bollywood . Also I agree gone at those days of supermodels on covers , everything is slowly becoming very Bollywood
Slowly becoming bollywood? Bollywood has taken over everything including quality movies. Like someone mentioned below, the pop music culture is pretty much extinct now and fashion can be tagged as endangered.
True that. Favoritism rules bollywood in every aspect incl. who is featured on mag covers. Like Anaita Adajania of Vogue India and her personal equation with Deepika (Vogue eyewear endorsement, Vogue covers), her sister Scherezade featured in Vogue several times. However, it is awesome to have people like Diet Sabya who are exposing the likes of MM, Deme for stealing other people’s work.
I don’t know if anyone else noticed Shweta Bachchan constantly plastered on FB pages of Vogue..sometimes daily newsfeeds show up features on just her. Huge disservice to fashion and vogue to constantly peddle her as a fashion icon – she doesn’t deserve it at all.
He is so right. And because he ( and JV vallya as well I think ) do not pander bollywood’s “give it to me for free”demands we rarely see there’s in these pages. It is a shame and a big loss for fashion.
He should have simply mentioned, Manish Malhotra and Jani Khosla uniforms.
He need’nt mention; its so so obvious
Yes, and I have a feeling that these two, along with the Bachans and Jahnvi Kapoor, are probably what broke the camel’s back.
I’m not a designer or part of any of those circles but well completely agree with this note. I guess the veteran designer has gone through the entire change and put it in most honesty. There’s no regulation or rule to tame wrongdoers in design and art. You’ll have to live with the unskilled who copy talents. That’s your best reward and their worst claim.
I agree with Rohit Bal. The fashion scene is India is evolving very slowly but the number of wedding couture fashion/trunk shows has just exploded, IMHO. Weddings are the real money-makers (both in India/Pakistan and among NRIs) which MM/AJSK know well and will make sure every celeb shows up in their OTT bling as advertisements. Their clothes are disturbingly atrocious more often than not. At least Anamika Khanna or may be some other designer declined sourcing request for Sonam’s wedding, which I imagine did not hurt her brand. As for magazine covers, it would be a step in the right direction if fewer bollywood celebs were featured and fashion took prominence, instead. I don’t know about others but I am yet to come across a magazine cover featuring a celeb that compelled me to go buy that magazine. Not sure how well that works.
What do you mean by ‘Anamika Khanna declined sourcing request’?
It is Anamika Khanna or may be some other designer. Can’t post external links here .. Google and Jack the Ripper are your best friends ..
I agree with Rohit Bal. The fashion scene in India is evolving very slowly but the number of wedding couture fashion/trunk shows has just exploded, IMHO. Weddings are the real money-makers (both in India/Pakistan and among NRIs) which MM/AJSK know well and will make sure every celeb shows up in their OTT bling as advertisements. Their clothes are disturbingly atrocious more often than not. At least Anamika Khanna or may be some other designer declined sourcing request for Sonam’s wedding, which I imagine did not hurt her brand. As for magazine covers, it would be a step in the right direction if fewer bollywood celebs were featured and fashion took prominence, instead. I don’t know about others but I am yet to come across a magazine cover featuring a celeb that compelled me to go buy that magazine. Not sure how well that works.
Yes to the part about fashion magazines and them becoming slaves to Bollywood.
I feel everyone is free to favor designers, may be they understand their style better.
This is a much needed discussion in the fashion industry. Of course, Bollywood and fashion can co-exist but it is clear that there a few designers (Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani, et al) who dominate it and let’s be honest, their work isn’t the best. Artists like Bal, JJ Vallaya and so many more who do exquisite work get put on the side lines. I’m imagining some rich socialites must purchase their work in order for them to continue, but they are definitely not featured on magazines or even HHC half as often as the bollywood favorites. I am also thinking of the weavers and the tailors and those that create handwoven sarees that we rarely see on Bollywood. All the women in my family wear sarees for social occassion and none of us wear designer ones (save for me: I have a soft spot for Raw Mango sarees) and they are from all around India. Indian embroidery prints and weaves are so diverse from Kantha, ikats and everything in between but we rarely see folks in Bollywood wearing them. Anyways, I totally agree and empathize with Mr. Bal and I wish he didn’t have to take down the post.
Fashion means change.. Nothing is constant in this industry. people always want something new. Starting a fashion label is not easy. Lot of hardwork, passion and money is required to start a brand and keep it going. In this age of instagram any kind of publicity is helpful for upcoming designers. End of the day designers know what is best for their business and they eventually learn from their mistakes. Im sure there are designers who might not be famous but have good turnover.
He makes great points and my thoughts are running in all directions. Bollywood has practically destroyed indie music and it is doing the same to fashion. Bollywood has played tastemaker for the masses, especially in fashion, for a long time now. Today, there are power wielders (designers) and their enablers (celebrity loyalists) who are weaving a vicious cycle that is destroying Indian craftsmanship. Their efforts make it seem like mainstream Indian fashion is limited to garish bile-inducing lehangas. Are designers shaping the tastes of their customers or catering to their tastes?
I guess we will see if Mr. Bal will be vilified like Kangana Ranaut was when she raised the topic of nepotism. But hope his post starts a widespread discussion like her’s did. I am not hopeful, however, because the average Indian likely doesn’t care enough about this issue.
Average Indian is not even aware about Bal Vallya and Malhotra ans they don’t need to care about fashion industrys vulgar prices and equally vulgar display of money…. All these designers have ZERO contribution towards society as they live in a world of their own so why shud an AVERAGE INDIAN care about crisis in their lives… They are no game changers in large pics..
Finally, someone had the gall to say it. As a silent reader of this blog and a spectator of the fashion spectacle, it is so clear as to how bollywood’s dressing has gone to the point of being clownish. Earlier, bollywood stars wore costumes in movies and stepped out in expensive but personal pieces which were awe worthy (read: rare expensive handlooms, some new design, some new way of wearing/draping/combining regular clothes to look chic). But recently, there is not a single look worth emulating since these celebrities step out in costumes, “in-character” looks and other western brands that are out of reach to the regular person. In the west, I notice more normal dressing when stars are out and about and wear jeans, tops, shoes and bags that one can aspire to own. Only during huge events such as oscars or Met Galas do you see a spectacle of outfits and that is fun since it is meant to raise eyebrows. Of course Bollywood copies Hollywood trends and then puts it on steroids.
As someone said, MM, AJSK and Sabyasachi run the risk of turning into wedding uniform factories. All shiny, blingy, garish outfits where the bridal party and the guests wear the same designer and compete for it. The whole Ambani spectacle, where more is to follow is a perfect example of this. Who wears such clothes for their weddings? What is the purpose of spending so much time and money in generating such outfits for a one-time use. Imagine the plight of the tailors and folks who spend hours manually attaching sequins and embroider these intricate outfits only to make it look OTT, similar to everyone else and a one-time use. What a waste!
Why do designers have to offer these things for free? Why source free clothes for personal wear? And seriously, why so much western wear? Gowns and other western silhouettes dominate bollywood and completely leave Indian dresses behind! Such a shame! Salwars, kaftans, skirts and blouses, churidars and most of all sarees are completely missing from any event. Everyone except us wears local outfits – British stick to coat-dresses and monochrome palettes, eastern film industries were ethnic outfits in glamorous prints and step out in western couture only when an International occasion rises.
Personally, I believe bollywood actors are good spokespeople with influence and visibility. With promo tours becoming a part of every movie release and social media accounts, it is almost as if they are part of our everyday lives! I long for the time when there was an aura and a mystery about them with movies being a lone window to see them. The occasional airport/restaurant/car spotting with them in their personal clothes made so much nicer viewing than these boring stylist curated designer wear looks that are inimitable.
Sorry, long rant but I wish Rohit Bal’s post becomes more mainstream. Kangana Ranaut’s airport look in Gucci is a perfect example of what is wrong with the fashion+bollywood Industry today.
Loved your write-up. Just wanted to point out though, Sabyasachi doesn’t send out clothes for weddings. The celebs who wear his clothes at personal events, own them. A friend of mine worked for him for some years, so I can say this with certainty. I don’t know about red carpet appearances though.
How about your thoughts on this issue? Playing safe P&P?
Because they themselves are beneficiaries of freebies from many brands featured here. I see a bias whenever those brands are featured on this page.
I do take a bit of an issue with that statement. I can count on one hand, the number of gifts we have received over the 10 years of free fashion coverage we have done so far. Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t showered with gifts. And, for every one that gifts us something, we also buy from the brand to support them as well as keep our conscience clear. If you see any bias, it is not because we being paid in kind, but more because we liked the design. Not the designer.
Payal, I appreciate and admire your values. You have shared your passions with us for free. Encouraged us to be informed, engaged and entertained by fashion. And, you have done what is right for you, as far as keeping your conscience clear is concerned. It takes a lot of hard work and resources to do what you do, and I bet with minimum or no monetary profits. You are a good woman. May the force be with you.
I don’t think that’s fair! Just posting this means that they obviously have opinions on it. If they were pandering to these brands– they would have kept out of it and wouldn’t have posted this in the first place. Plus I don’t want to speak for anyone but don’t think PnP would be caught dead in a MM (might have risked my post not getting approved but ah well.)
We agree with almost all of it. And we have our own frustrations to add to his list. :) We used to cover Airport Looks before because that was one space, where you could see a celebrity’s personal style. That was until one day we got an email from a stylist stating what the person was going to be wearing. Unfortunately, we are at an age, that everything is over-curated.
One of the many peeves we have is that there is so much talent in India and yet in every major award show, you see international designers or designs by Indian designers that tend to mimic an international design. Now, we are seeing celebrities in labels that are blatantly ripping of international designs.
Frankly, we would rather see a celebrity buy their outfits, and RE-WEAR. The challenge to them and their stylist is to how to present it in new ways. We, frankly, are done with seeing new looks every darn day! We are in an age that we really need to get away from the thought process of “Everyday New”.
over-curated is the word!
I think this is the era we can’t even see celebrities’ personal style at doctor’s appointment. So, expecting that they will be in their personal style at airports are out of questions.
Agreed that celebrities, Re-wearing the clothes makes us more connected to their fashion. There is more logic in day to day lives of most of the people of this country (in fact around the globe), that we dont wear new one each and every day.
P&P, I love your views! You guys are true fashion experts. I’ve been following your blog since 2007, and impressed and inspired with how your views, language and personal tastes have moved with time.
Couldn’t agree more – not repeating outfits is not only passe but also unconscionable in the world that we live in. True creativity is in repeating and yet standing out.
Also, I feel individuality is completely lost in Bollywood fashion. It’s hard to point out (admire or critique) people for their uniquely individual styles. I’m not much of an old schooler, but perhaps only Rekha stands out. Amongst the younger folks, Maria, Mini, Konkona and may be Karisma Kapoor.
then do the HHC writers really love manish malhotra thaat much? hard to believe all this coverage is without any payment for it. plus you dont even love everything you post; so kind of contradictory to say you post so much manish malhotra cause you like the design.
Clearly you have missed all those posts where we post Manish Malhotra and said we do not like the design. :)
They are posting because it’ a celebrity sighting. It’s not their fault that celebs have such tacky (and frequently so) taste. And agree with Payal that they do not come across as fans of MM.
Thank you so much for uploading Rohit Bal’s FB post. Wish he hadn’t deleted that.
Ooooops! He was made to delete it?? Sad… you can’t even speak where you created for 30+ years..
What a brilliant piece of writing by Rohit Bal – I love his designs and am even more impressed that he took a stand and said it loud,even if forced by circumstances to take his post down .
I also have to say that websites such as HHC have actually contributed a lot in the exact trend that he is talking about. Bollywood fashion is discussed – dissed or glorified in such detail (moi guilty of this as well by being a part of the HHC forum) and contributing to the bollywoodizing of the fashion industry.
Also as the writer rightly mentioned, it’s a complete shame on the part of Bollywood stars that they don’t pay for any of this and the only mileage that this gets is for mainly for the star and stylist.
So glad someone as prominent as Rohit Bal is talking about this. I completely agree that most of these “designers” should be credited as costume designers since that is precisely what they do. There’s absolutely no difference between the blingy outfits that you see in Yash Chopra and KJo movies and the outfits you find at Bollywood weddings. If this continues, true talents like Rimzim Dadu, will never see the light of the day. You’ll have fashion impostors like Deme by Gabriella. And can we talk about how Jahnvi Kapoor got a Vogue cover even before her first film released? Earlier you would see models like Madhu Sapre, Nina Manuel, Noyonika Chatterjee gracing fashion covers as they should rightfully do. How many Indian supermodels of today can you name? That’s because Bollywood celebrities hog all covers, whether they deserve it or not.
True that :( I long for an actual super model on a cover carrying off an outfit with Panache. Most folks have stopped buying fashion mags altogether oflate because they don want yet another bollyread..
Absolutely. Most Indian “fashion magazines” are no different from Bollywood gossip columns. I follow a bunch of mags on Insta: Elle India can certainly moonlight as a Bollywood tabloid and Vogue India is cosmopolitan beauty tips added to page 3 celeb covers. Even Anna Wintour got called out for letting Kim Kardashian grace Vogue cover but in India, Anaita has no qualms putting Malaika, Shweta Bachchan and Gauri Khan as “fashion icons”.
PLUS Bollywood actors judge music shows, and Miss India even… Models don’t even get to feature in Ads now; its all bollywood / cricketers
I’d love to hear some former models/top models talk about this and hear their thoughts too…this is an important conversation for the Indian fashion world…and if it’s reached me I’m sure it’s reached the likes of MM and Abu-Jani as well.
Agree – I stopped reading vogue India a few years ago Bc of the poorly written articles sucking up to Bollywood and the general poor content compared to other vogues around the world
completely agree, she seems like a lovely girl, but Jhanvi has done absolutely NOTHING to warrant a Vogue cover
Thoughts?? Surely you have something to say P&P.
See our reply to Vishika above. :)
Oh, having to scroll through 70+ comments to see it doesn’t quite cut it. Why post your thoughts as a comment, rather than in the main post…
I am assuming they did not post their personal thoughts as RB’s post said a lot anyways. Posting his thoughts on their blog speaks of P&P’s support anyways.
I miss seeing the supermodels with likes of Madhu Sapre, Ujjwala Raut, Sheetal Mallar, Bipasha Basu(as a model) on fashion magazine covers instead of actresses and star wives – no offense but how are Gauri Khan or Suzanne Khan relevant to fashion?! I hope magazine editors take note!!
Kudos to Bal! He has the guts to call out copycat tacky tastemakers like Manish and Abu-Sandeep. These guys’s collections have only decreased in quality and craftsmanship thanks to machine-like turnout for their celeb friends to wear for free at a plethora of events. It really is the death of creativity. Indian Fashion as an industry needs major revamping given so few clothes are actually sold and indeed simply relying on the bridal industry is not sufficient to keep major companies running. Additionally, it is unfair that star kids before their films are even released like Janhvi or Ananya get to wear an MM or Abu-Sandeep (which would cost lakhs to girls who could actually afford it) given they’re really not even influencers yet…so is it that just being born to a family of actors or in Ananya’s case, friends of actors, is enough to wear whatever you wish when the rest of the world has to cough up pretty huge sums???
Yes, I remember living in the middle-east in the early 90s before moving to North America. I used to die to get my hand on any Indian fashion magazine. I was completely mesmerized by Madhu Sapre, Mehr Jessia, Noyonika Chatterjee et al. These girls were godesses. I also remember watching a TV show dedicated to Indian fashion and would wait for it to be on air every week. That is where I learnt about Rohit Bal, Aki Narula, JJ Vallaya etc. These guys are stalwarts whereas Manish Malhotras, Sabyasachis are fairly new entrants and have merely commoditized fashion. There is nothing we can do about this. It has impacted every field. For crying out loud, Rupi Kaur is a poet with her weird “poetry” and we are eating this crap up.
I so agree with him! I have stopped buying fashion magazines for past couple of years. I have got so tired of their covers… I love Vogue Italia, France etc covers more now… it’s a shame, really. Especially, when all this drama hurts our craftsman too!!
P & P. I hope you keep the post by Rohit Bal on the top of your page for at least a few days. An important piece of writing by the original Indian designer.
Three cheers for Rohit Bal ! He should not deleted the post !
Thanks P & P for posting this. Couldn’t agree with Rohit Bal more. The saddest part is to see atrocious, truly awful, garish, awfully designed OTT MM , AJSK clothes worn ny 80% of attendees at big events, marriages etc. Even if its not traditional Indian wear, surely celebrities can experiment with Indian fusion(Remember Sonam in the Anamika Khanna with beige/gold border outfit with stunning traditional jewellery-I miss that so much)! I blame editors and the celebrities esp Bollywood stars the most.
I agree with RB and i’m happy to see everyone here supporting his thoughts. Fashion should be able to thrive in a creative, free, and independent space with or without Bollywood. B-town celebrities are certainly smothering the fashion industry .
I would really like to see outfits repeated (as P&P echoed) and nondescript brands shine in these pages, not always the expensive tents that MM and AJSK make. This ugly business of using celebrities to promote their monstrosities is crushing designers that might otherwise create newly imagined pieces with Chettinad cottons or Sambalpuri silks. There is no lack of talent or inspiration in India, only a lack of encouragement. Indian designers either copy western counterparts or throw a shitload of sequins on a billowing lehenga and attach a 2 bit choli to it. There is no in-between.
P&P, it’s clear that RB’s post touched a chord. Why not share your thoughts instead of simply throwing the link here and asking for readers’? You certainly have a lot to comment on from your first hand experience as fashion bloggers and fashion event attendees.
I agree with Rohit Bal but that’s advertising my dear … he needs a new management team to make his brand works better then
U can’t blame Mm if people chose to wear his labels.
We also chooses our friends before other people so why can’t celeb
I completely agree with him on all the points.
After seeing the posts of Ambani engagement bash I actually wondered that did staffs at Ambanis had to take appoint at ophthalmologist? I am sure their eyes would have certainly strained looking at all the OTT bling that even a mere guests wore at the bash.
The fashion industry is anything from rasta maal to high end couture. Though trends filter down from couture, shopping centre and mall style is the bulk of it. This is mostly driven by women be they traditional, stay at home or professionals. Aunty, bai, mummy, colllege, that type. Rohit Bal is talking of a small section of Indians who can afford high end clothes. As for Bollywood always been influential. Only earlier aping was frowned on now we take style tips from them. Sometimes HHC is a style tip centre too since it features a lot of Bollywood.
Right now we are going through a moneyed vulgar phase of the biilionaire raj in India and we see it in our fashion and movies. The Bals and Vallayas don’t fit in. But they can make their own niche instead of chasing a film industry that was always tacky and opportunistic in its fashion choices.
Maybe the old guard needs to change their marketing style, or not bother about it at all if they truly want to remain independent. One can’t stick to one’s guns, and still complain sour grapes… The OP definitely sounded a little vinegary.
Fashion and film have had a symbiotic relationship ever since the days of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, so it’s a bit late for one to suddenly turn on the other. I agree though, that it’s never been as overt as now. And certainly not to the extent that fashion mags turn wedding photographers and PR machines for B’wood celebs! I guess that was the last straw for Mr. Bal. As to the complaint of one or two designers gaining exclusive access to certain weddings, I guess that’s the modern version of Royal patronage?! The exchange may not be in money but free clothes are definitely not to be sneered at, to hell with the aesthetics!
Hear, hear! About time since somebody spoke up against the excessive focus on bridal couture. I understand that Indian weddings are the biggest money-making sectors in the market, and oftentimes, the focus is so much on OTT wedding couture, wedding locations makeup etc., that I’m not sure that the Indian fashion market is even catering to an Indian bride who would want a low-key approach to such events. I do remember a few one-off wedding creations by Tarun Tahiliani, which were such beautiful and versatile pieces, that one need not wear them for a wedding alone. These could be worn for festive daily occasions too.
Quite honestly, I am appalled to know that celebrities don’t pay designers for the clothes that they wear to the red-carpet. This is akin to asking painters to paint for free, singers to sing for free and actors to act for free because this is “just entertainment”. All labour must be compensated. Expecting freebies just because one has influence in the larger society seems to be a disappointing way of operating, particularly considering how many people look up to celebrities as role models .
I can’t wait to see the creations of newer designers! I want to see something besides a Manish Manhotra or Sabyasachi. With all due credit to the aforementioned designers (they make truly beautiful creations), I would certainly like to see more varies style sensibilities from newer designers. Let’s get some edge into Indian fashion! Let’s not just stick to the traditional.
Just for everyone’s and HHC’s information the above post credited to Rohit Bal was written by Designer Shahab Durazi on Facebook July 2nd and shared by Rohit Bal on Facebook July 9th.
I’m surprised this isn’t getting more attention. Let’s get writing credit right you guys! especially in a post that is getting so much attention.
I so agree with him, but there’s going to be a lot of backlash for Mr. Bahl for speaking up. Let’s hope his art doesn’t suffer.
This is something that happens in the West as well. There are designers who loan clothes to Hollywood celebrities for free and some who don’t (losing business along the way). Indian fashion and Indians both seem to be suffering from an inferiority complex. Simply ape the West in order to be fashionable. Those with money mostly eye luxury Italian and French brands instead of patronising desi companies offering luxury products. That these luxury companies source their leather and textiles from India is another matter. Middle-class or the upper middle class now have Zara and H&M for easy and cheap fashion. The irony is we Asians now buy clothes from Western companies that make cheap clothes because of other Asians slogging in factories (India, Bangladesh, Combodia etc). That most of us know Dior and Fendi but many cannot name our own specialty weaves and embroideries says much about what we think of indigenous design and fashion.
Hence I would love a piece once week or so on street fashion. Like the sartorialist.
Couldnt agree more with every single thing he said. I was quite surprised when i saw lengha-choli being worn without dupttas. Especially as the choli is short and tight to show off a cleavage. The elegance of the outfit was reduced to that of a raunchy item number dancer’s costume. And this trend went on from Movies -> Bollywood celebreties wearing them in real life -> regular people wearing them in real life. And this one reason why costumes being reality is sad. North indian wedding wear has become costume-ized. Thankfully the southern brides are holding on their silk sarees and no designer is needed to make it any “prettier” or “costumier” than it is.
Find it a pity that he deleted this post. He should stand by it.
Yeah out of all the disgusting fashion industry and filthy disgusting Bollywood, the good thing is …….. the South Indian brides still wearing the traditional silk sarees and some grooms still continuing the tradition of wearing traditional pancha/kurta or whatever.
I really want to know what the new and upcoming fashion designers think about Rohit Bal’s post… All the comments here are from outsiders. It would be great to read their views too.
The new designers are nothing but talentless people who have family back ground/money to back up like Masaba, Shriya Som etc. Nepotism rules. Not everyone, but it is very very hard to become a famous designer for a common person.
Neena Gupta is hardly a heavyweight influencer in Bollywood. For anything related to Arts it helps to have a parent who can fund you till you find some kind of niche. Doesn’t have to be a film star often “designers” are from old money, corporates etc.
Imo Masaba is a decent designer because she is quite distinctive. But yes having famous friends model helps. That’s the way it goes everywhere. Its why Stella McCartney has a career.
What you said is right. But Shriya Som is from a filthy rich family. Her grand father is one of the top richest Indians. Sorry to say but I don’t like Masaba’s designs and find her materials fabrics to be kind of cheap. Sorry but it’s just my personal feeling.
Why just fashion, Bollywood has kidnapped our entire public discourse. They set standards, they tell us how we should treat other countries, they define foreign policy, and dictate societal norms. They band together to defend nepotism, corruption and fraud.
Bollywood flouts laws, they never get prosecuted, they are in bed with corporations and criminals and politicians. No one else gets an invite or gets to express their opinion. They are the first people whose opinions are solicited on any matter by every network and every journo. Oh heck, even if the PM or President are visiting another country, BOLLYWOOD greets them at the door . Bollywood hosts every one who is a someone when they visit India.
In such a situation why wont MM and AJSK flock to them?
Hollywood is popular in the USA, but only on ET and In Touch and People magazine covers. (Yes the last couple years Oprah and Chrissy Teigen wants to determine immigration policy :P)
The Reddy and Ambani weddings are clear examples of how completely out of touch Bollywood and wealthy corporate executives are with the regular 1.2 billion. Its shameful, its sad and its depraved.
Mr Bal will now be seen as jealous and weak and talentless by the talentless of Bollywood, which is almost 99% of them :P
Right. From the past 13 years or so the Bollywood is filled with talentless, ordinary looking star kids both male and female…… and now they are walking on the ramp for fashion shows also, apart from doing movies. The models have been completely wiped out of scene. Filled with nepotism. And if you are in Bollywood, you won’t even get punished by law, even if you kill four people. Law and order doesn’t exist.
Spot on!
I read and re-read Mr. Bal’s piece and he does bring up some valid points. For me there are two big issues. 1. As P&P said it fashion is “over curated”. 2. Not repeating clothes is a huge offense and we are sending a wrong message to society and all the followers. The airport looks are so curated, vs. being natural. Often I have to check the temperature in Mumbai and Delhi because I cant believe some of what is being worn, from designer sweatshirts to trenches. Summer in India is brutal in most parts, and there is nothing like mulmul, khadi and other fabrics to keep you cool and comfortable. There are a few stars that do repeat, but it so far and between. The worst offender of highly curated looks and always new is Sonam Kapoor. I love her, but man, is she sending the wrong message to young girls. Sonam, would love to see you repeat some of the lovely outfits you have – your gaurang suits, a stunning black and white Tarun Tahiliani dhoti saree, navy blue Roksana dress. Donating pieces for a good cause may be something to consider. Thanks for listening.
She would…but only if she owns it :)) if you don’t Buy and own the outfit but just wear one free dress to the next where is the qn of repeating… sad state of affairs indeed.
I always used to wonder about sonam’s wardrobe size, and even if she lives in a huge house, she couldn’t possibly fit all those clothes there. Now, I know what happens to those clothes.
P.S. We all have cribbed about Bollywoodisation of fashion, but hardly touched upon celebrity stylists. I have yet to come across an Indian stylist with an iota of style.
I agree with most of Rohit Bal’s points, however the sourcing clothes thing isn’t just a bollywood problem. It has been adopted from Hollywood stylists’ methods. Unless a large proportion of the designers take a stand and don’t accept sourcing requests, there will always be designers who will give free clothes to these celebs for publicity and coverage in exchange.
I would say the biggest culprit in shoving down bollywood celebs down our throats is the media. No one cared for airport looks or the international brands that celebs wear a decade ago.Media has created this market,and by media I mean fashion blogs like hhc too. You guys comment and criticize everything the stars wear. Media hardly ever features an actor in a non branded outfit, which is why stars obviously are compelled to wear designer wear.And designer wear costs a bomb,which is why stars require stylists to source designer wear.Even stars are not stupid to splurge 5lakh on a Rohit Bal or Sabyasachi outfit, they will go bankrupt if they keep buying the overpriced designer wear.
Here I would say it is a catch 22 situation. Media covers stuff which they feel readers will consume. Many readers will consume stuff by Bollywood celebrities over others hence their rise. Even HHC by their own admission covers only Bollywood which extends to people like Shweta B (whose only qualification is she is the daughter of Big B ) and the other sons, daughters, wives, husbands of Bollywood Celebrities, A list, B list not withstanding. Unless we change our consumption habit, this vicious cycle will continue.
As much as I love this blog, I do agree that airport looks were never a thing until HHC starting featuring it. In fact, a large part of the fashion and styling craziness going on in Bollywood is because of this blog. I don’t think there’s any other media coverage that’s so impactful.
Payal and Priyanka have a huge voice in the current space and I hope they would use it wisely.
Absolutely! Many an A-list celebrity / designer have publicly acknowledged the weight of HHC in the Indian fashion scene.
And for this very reason, I truly admire & applaud P&P’s stand on NOT doing posts on underage star kids and, even more importantly, celebrities at funerals / prayer meets. Else can you imagine the fashion craziness that would start even at such sacrosanct events!!
I thought it was shahab durazi who wrote that article and Rohit Bal shared it
You are right. We have updated the post.
I appreciated this post so much – it hits really close to home, as I come from a textile family, and am rather dismayed by the trends in India over the years. I also think I have a slightly different view because as much as Bollywood invades much of the (urban) Hindi-speaking north, I think the same trends of veering away from native weaves/designs are less so in other parts of the country. Take Chennai, for example – while Kanjeevarams may not be as popular as they once were, and new trends have taken over, you will still find a lot of traditional wear (and not just a blingy version of a saree) at celebrity events and weddings. Some of my favourite (and popular) stores are really keeping the old ways alive, but modernizing via cuts and styles, rather than fabric. In many ways, it’s a city that hits the right balance. I imagine that Kolkata, Hyderabad etc are similarly so. And Pakistan is actually a nice counterpoint to north India – western brands are starting to come in, but they produce some really beautiful traditional wear (that you can find many celebs wearing).
I do feel for Shahab Durazi/Rohit Bal and their fellow designers that started with and continue their focus on Indian wear (and by extension, the weavers and other textile artists). Between stylists and magazines, this is a crisis of sorts. I hope this post shames (even if just for the sake of appearance) the intended parties, and I also hope that it gives other designers the courage to push back. More importantly, I hope it begins circulating amongst the youth and helps renew interest in the type of Indian fashion that has been overpowered by Bollywood’s influence.
I always used to wonder about the models and how they felt being upstaged by actors for everything from ad films to magazine covers to runways. We once had the likes of Mehr Jessia, Madhu Sapre, Milind Soman, Marc Robinson, Bikram Saluja, Noyonika Chatterjee, etc. Supermodels in their right. We used to love the clothes they wore. I remember owning a desk calendar that featured just Mehr Jessica. What a wonderful sight that was! I think the last recognisable models were Carol Gracia, Pia Trivedi, Anchal Kumar. I don’t know a single model’s name now!
Think about Gigi, Adriana, Karlie, Miranda… It’s high time fashion magazines bring back the models. And show stoppers too!
While the sourcing format has been adopted from Hollywood, but it is not as predominant as in Bollywood. There, the stylists get you looks for press tours and the awards season; they do not have airport looks, or they get you outfits to go to party at someone’s house, to go to watch a colleague’s film screening, and so on and so forth. In Bollywood it seems the celebs are allergic to wearing their own clothes and just want to wear borrowed looks all day, everyday.
While the sourcing format has been adopted from Hollywood, it is not as prevalent as in Bollywood there. There, the stylists get you looks for press tours and the awards season; they do not have airport looks, or they get you outfits to go to party at someone’s house, to go to watch a colleague’s film screening, and so on and so forth. In Bollywood it seems the celebs are allergic to wearing their own clothes and just want to wear borrowed looks all day, everyday.
I agree with everything Shahab Durazi and Rohit Bal say about encouraging and showcasing local, indigenous, and unique fashion design. But I really don’t understand their lament about the supermodel era ending.
The essence of the supermodel era is captured in the movie ‘Fashion’. Also, think of what happened to Milind Soman when Arjun Rampal came in. Supermodels were just a medium for designers to control and influence the fashion market. Even if they were called SUPERmodels, these models were essentially disposable.
But somewhere along the way, PR and Advertising agencies realized that the critical financial pivot here was public influence and not the model or design itself. This is where the actress model came in. The actress model doesn’t need designer clothes to be popular or gain market value. Fashion doesn’t add value to her, as much as she adds value to fashion. This was why Weinstein put all his actresses in his wife’s Marchesa fashion label. PR firms reversed the ‘supermodel’ idea, and now the designer is redundant.
To be honest, it is really said. Fashion models and influencers (Babe Paley, Edie Sedgwick, Irene Castle, Pattie Boyd, Lady Curzon, Maharani Indira Raje etc) have always been important to the propagation of new Fashion ideas. In trying to control models, designers/fashion houses/publications set into motion a sequence of events that now controls them. Instead of lamenting the end of the supermodel era, we should lament the day someone even came up with that idea.
And let us not forget internet fashion bloggers/critics played a big part in pushing these stars from wearing a plain black sleeveless salwar kameez with pink lip gloss to award shows to “over-curated” airport looks by the stylist!:-)
Very true- from a logical POV…half the reason stars are so over-curated and costume-y 24/7 is because of the constant eyes on them (paparazzi, fashion blogs, critics). People say right now that they’d like to see stars repeating clothes and dressing naturally etc., but I’m sure when that happens there will be more complaints like…”my maid dresses better” or “she looks ordinary/plain”…so there really is no winning with us. Having said that, I too would prefer to see stars dressed down rather than dressed up because the planned outfits to the doctor/gym/airport have really reached clown status now. But just wanted to put out a different POV out there – that even stars are human, and when they know that their every move is being watched, sometimes it’s better to let the stylist take the reins even if it’s at the risk of a faux pas every now and then (or well these days, every other day). But I suppose as soon as stars and their teams stop giving so much importance to airport/gym/*insert-random-event* “looks”, scrutiny by the public will decrease as well. So they just have to start and there will be a domino effect.
Definitely agree ! Celebrities need to pay for their clothes and that way they understand the prominence and start repeating clothes. Also don’t agree with featuring the airport looks.