The mystery of the missing clothes

Actors being accused of not returning clothes and jewellery borrowed for public appearances and shoots is nothing new. The most recent example is that of TV actor Hina Khan, who has been accused of not returning jewellery worth ₹11 lakh which she wore at Dadasaheb Phalke Awards. Hina has slapped a legal notice on the jewellery brand which had made the allegation, claiming that the stylist’s assistant took it from her but lost the pieces. Designer Kapil Arora had once accused actor Veena Malik of not returning garments worth lakhs. Neha Dhupia has also faced similar allegations.

Wondering how the sourcing process works? Celebrity stylists acquire clothes from designers, which they wear to events, and then return them to the designer. In case of any damage, the celebrity has to pay for it. However, the process is facing scrutiny as designers accused some celebs for not returning the borrowed pieces.

When we spoke to designers and stylists about actors who do not return clothes and jewellery habitually, or return pieces in a damaged condition, many designers shared their disappointment.

“I’ve lost 60-70 garments in a year. I sent it to celeb stylists and never got them back even after following up for months. At times, they send a courier with the wrong outfit and we have to return it. However, we don’t get back our garment which, supposedly, is sent to another designer by mistake. Many times, the garments that come back are in a very bad condition,” says designer Pawan Sachdeva. Agreeing to this, designer Sahil Gulati says, “Celebrity stylists have returned the garments in disastrous states and refused to pay for it. We had sent a garment to an actor for an award function, which he wore, but we haven’t got it back.

We’ve seen the garment being used in smaller portfolio shoots, but couldn’t track it or get it back. And the stylists don’t take the responsibility.”

However, stylists say that it’s important for actors as well as stylists to maintain their reputation; so, they are careful and particular about the pieces. “There are times when delays happen, but clothes usually are returned. In case of irreparable damage, the artist has been asked to buy the garment while the price is negotiated with the designer,” says stylist Maneka Harisangani. Another issue that stylists mention is that screening is important when it comes to hiring as junior stylists have often been blamed for the missing items. “We undergo a proper screening as we deal with very expensive stuff. In case of any such mishaps, we usually sit and discuss [with designers] and reach a solution on how to handle it,” says celeb stylist Esha Amiin.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK, FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY Celebrities often source clothes and accessories from designers to wear to events and have to return them later