ADVENTURES OF A STYLIST
Celebrities have followed the trend of hiring the help of professional wedding stylists. With weddings in tow, the role of wedding stylists takes front seat, as they have a creative bent of mind and look at each celebrity differently, giving him or her a unique look. Kim Kardashian made news when she hired Jennifer Lopez’s stylists, Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn and might wear Italian designer Ermanno Scervino for her wedding. Hollywood stylist Jennifer Rade often called the Wicked Witch of Wardrobe, styled Angelina Jolie, whom she works with closely. Are marriages back in fashion?
In India, even with modern weddings, traditions are respected and celebrated. Nisha Kundnani, founder Bridelan and Bollywood stylist, credited with styling Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Nandita Das, Kiran Rao, Vishwanathan Anand and Rahul Dravid, says, “There is spending power but also a sense of restrain and that reflects in their clothing tradition. The most affluent women wear humble Kanjeevarams and gold jewellery without bothering about designer labels. However, it is also this part of India, where a little bit of finesse and style is needed in dressing for weddings. Delhi has the fashion designers clout and Mumbai has Bollywood, therefore they have popular cultures to borrow from.”
Talking of the role of a wedding stylist, she adds, “There is a void in India in terms of simple adaptations such as understanding the need for wardrobe that is a balance of traditional and modern; silhouettes that don’t look outdated, modern styling of jewellery, makeup and hair. Weddings in India look homogenised. And often several weddings tend to have similar themes and colour schemes. What a stylist does is to first aim at bringing out the personality of the bride and the groom. The trend to follow is minimalistic and elegant, with a dressy look but not overtly heavy. There is a wave of naturalism, minimalism and pure elegance. Also, cultural clothing, where you follow your family clothing traditions, from gimmicky fashion to clothing that speaks the language of cherishing your heritage and family culture is the trend to watch out for.”