17 October,2010 08:49 AM IST | | Shweta Shiware
With Mumbai finally playing home to one of the most luxurious Parisian fashion brands, Shweta Shiware catches luxe fashion's latest Bollywood acquisition, Kangna Ranaut, at the Dior boutique to talk walk-in wardrobes and spending all she earned from her first film on a red designer dress
The Universe devours a good story. Especially the kind where the wide-eyed protagonist dusts off her modest beginnings to venture into an urban jungle, shaped with delightfully rustic candidness. Kangna Ranaut is on her way to be that Jai Ho! allegory.
Kangna Ranaut wears a Dior dress for Sunday Mid Day's exclusive photoshoot.
pic/Hashim Badani
The National Award for Best Supporting Actress (for her modishly battered portrayal of Geetanjali Nagpal in Fashion, the film that released in 2008) brought credence to the young actress' powerhouse presence.
Six years after her debut in Gangster and more than a dozen films later, the girl from Bhamla, a small town near Manali, wants to talk fashion.
"She represents a genre of young stars who seem to pack in so much into their lives. They are achievers. Kangna is like a chameleon; she morphs into avatars, drawing from her personal taste. That, I think, is unique," says Kalyani Saha Chawla, VP Marketing and Communications, Christian Dior Couture, India. "She is classic, sophisticated and individualistic with an edge... and that's also what Dior stands for," she says. The actress made a quick stopover to the mint new Christian Dior boutique at the Taj Mahal Hotel this week, for a store promotion, before taking a flight to London.
Here is luxe fashion's latest acquisition in an exclusive chat, looking and sounding very little like a Bollywood actress:
As a young girl, what was your first, vivid memory of Dior?
Luxury brands like Dior are like a wish... it's not something you just go and buy. You have to see it ufffd you come across an image in a magazine, or glance at it while passing a store window, or someone carrying it swishes past, you wish for it ...then it happens... and that's good, because that's how you treasure it.
How old were you when you purchased your first luxury buy? Was it a pair of shoes, bag or garment?
I was 18, just after the release of my first film Gangster. I remember falling in love with this red Moschino dress. I was new to the industry and had little money. I spent all that I had earned on that dress. And never once regretted it!
Do you own any Lady Dior bags?
Yes, two.
You once mentioned in an interview that you chat with your luxury bags and shoes? What sort of conversations do you have with them?
It was a joke! But I do love organising my wardrobe. It's what I do if I have time to unwind at home, which is quite rare these days. I've just moved to a new home at Santacruz, and it has a beautiful walk-in wardrobe. I've spent the last two days organising it, and am exhausted but happy.
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Isn't being an actress enough? Why is it suddenly important for the new crop of Bollywood stars to double as fashion icons?
I think it comes with being an actor. Being fashionable is our job. In India, Bollywood stars double as rockstars and fashion icons. Unlike in the West, where you'd rarely see a Hollywood actor on ramp, here we also play showstoppers. I guess it's because people love films, and so, they love the stars. It's just the way our industry is.
Would you confirm that Paris Hilton considered you as Asian brand ambassador for her brand?
Yes, I have been approached by a couple of international fashion brands, but I'd prefer not to comment on endorsement contracts.
There's talk about you launching a fashion line. What can we expect?
I love fashion, and would love to design a line at some point. It is on my list of things to do in this
lifetime (smiles). But I also want to direct a film, and I think that might happen first!
At a recent film outing, you were photographed wearing a Dior couture dress with pared down make-up and hair, and just heels for distraction. You prefer monotones over the chaos of prints, and yet your style is defined as edgy...
Edgy etc. are tags given by the media and fashion observers. What I wear is usually defined by my mood, the demand of the occasion, and an understanding of what works for me, given my body type and features. A sense of style is an acquired skill. If you make the effort, experiment, understand your body and what works for you, you will get it right.
Any favourite Indian designers? What about their designs makes them a favourite?
Sabyasachi Mukherjee. He is unique, different.
Any future movies where we can see you decked in designer threads?
I'm styling my own look in Tez and Rascals, so let me know what you think.
Five must-haves in a woman's wardrobe, if she wants to carry off the Kangna look?
Aviators, skinny jeans, oversized jackets, a casual white linen dress, and gladiator sandals.
