24 May,2009 11:38 AM IST | | Amita Amin-Shinde
No one, unless they're Jayalalithaa, can avoid repeating clothes. So how do B-town celebs do it week after week?
In the west, you've arrived if you're being dressed by the big V, G or Y of fashion. This does not mean going to their boutique and picking up a dress in that label. It means, being dressed by them.
Indian celebrities on the other hand, mostly brought up in a culture that does not borrow its threads, tip toe around the whole thing. Sure they're dressed by designers for red carpet events, premieres or awards functions. But after the event, everything is done hush hush whether it's returning the dress to the designer or simply giving the clothes away.
This made us wonder how B-list celebrities, who attend three to four events and parties every week, can afford to get away without repeating their clothes. No one, unless you're Jayalalithaa, has enough clothes to last a lifetime.
Model-turned-actress Mugdha Godse says, with a laugh, "Since I have been a model, I know a lot of designers. So sometimes I approach them, and sometimes they do."
But the actress says that it only works with her if she can identify with the designer's work. "If the garment is gifted to me after the event, I keep it, or I might buy it. But because I am friends with the designers, money is not a criteria."
Besides, like any other girl, Mugdha loves to splurge on clothes. "I repeat the outfit five-six years later, use it for a shoot, give it away to someone or just return it to the designer to sell. Of course, many a times, it just goes back on the mannequins."
So once she has worn a gorgeous evening dress, she says, it goes back into her "memory wardrobe".
That said, 99 per cent of the celebs we speak to say that they buy their threads. Says actress Neha Dhupia, "It's a price you have to pay. But I don't think actors shy away from saying whose creation they are wearing because it goes hand-in-hand. It's a privilege when that happens. But if I do wear a designer outfit and it's for free, I make sure I give it back," Neha says forcefully.u00a0
However, designer A D Singh agrees that Indian designers often "gift" their garments to celebrities. "Frankly, it helps in forwarding our business. With the kind of endorsement deals the celebs ink, I mean, if Akshay Kumar charges Rs 10 crore for endorsing a brand, but he agrees to wear my Rs 30,000 jeans and talk about it, I'll be too happy to gift him the denim. Of course, it depends on who the celebrity is. One has to consider if one wants the brand to be associated with a particular celebrity. If it's a B-grade actress, one doesn't want to be associated with her, unless she is buying the garment," A D says with a laugh.
The designer adds, "If the celebrity is a well known one, then we don't charge for the outfit. Sometimes they return it, sometimes they don't. On certain occasions, when they are not willing to buy the dress, we give it to them. And even if they do return it, we possibly can't put the garment on the rack."
Known for her sexy sense of dressing, actress Malaika Arora is uncomfortable talking about her wardrobe. A little coaxing later, she admits that she wears designers like Monisha Jaisingha, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani, Rina Dhaka or Mandira Wirk. But she adds, "Repeating outfits is a hazard of our profession. One has to take it in stride. I really don't give too much importance to what I wear and where I wore it last. It's too stressful."
The sultry siren admits that she repeats dresses. But she mixes and matches the outfits and accessorises differently. "If I do have to pull out a dress I have worn before, I will do so without batting an eyelid. I can't let life be governed with, 'Oh, she wore it last time'," she says.
Actress Manisha Koirala also admits to repeating her dresses. But she doesn't care if she has to face flak in the media. "Bad mouthing is part and parcel of our lives now. How much can we remember anyway? Though, I try to not wear the dress here. Perhaps I will wear it on an international trip."
The actress, who was crazy about brands till two years ago, says she prefers wearing Indian designer friends' creations now. "Apart from Maheka Mirpuri and Shahid Amir, I love Sabyasachi Mukherjee's cotton stuff. Sabya's clothes are wearable 10 times as his clothes never go out of fashion. Tarun (Tahiliani) is a great pal of mine but his clothes are highly noticeable, so I don't wear them here after the first time."
But when asked if she borrows clothes from her designer friends or buys them, she says, "Designer friends are also business people na darling. No one does charity here. You know, I bought a Jean Paul Gaultier dress for Rs 1.5 lakh and now it's been lying in my cupboard for two years."
But she feels one can get away with repeating shoes which are not as noticeable as dresses. On being part of fashion faux articles, the actress says, with a laugh, "It doesn't irritate me anymore. I have had too many bad articles written about me."
Designer Gavin Miguel, reluctant to talk about the industry in general, says that most of his celeb clients buy dresses from him. But he does admit to gifting dresses once in a while.
"I would gift an outfit out of sheer courtesy. If it's a red carpet evening, celebs buy clothes. There are some actresses who haven't directly asked me but their teams ask if I can send some of my garments. I do, but I also send my quotation. It's a fair deal," he says, matter-of-factly.
Designer JJ Valaya, who has been in the industry for over 18 years, says celebs have learned the art of mixing and matching. "What they do after buying their clothes from me is their decision. Gifting outfits is a personal choice and frankly, there are no rules," he answers diplomatically.
Actress Koena Mitra is not quite so diplomatic. She admits it's an expensive business, to look the way celebs do, and she is a compulsive shopaholic.
"My bags and shoes are expensive. I possibly can't throw them away after a one-time use. So I don't mind repeating those. I love to dress up, so much so that friends tease me that I am colour-coordinated even at the breakfast table," says Koena with a laugh. But with shutterbugs around, Koena makes it a point to be cautious.
u00a0
"Designers often have a special price tag for us... discounts. During the fashion weeks, some designers send an outfit along with a box of chocolates and an invite to come and attend their show. They also give us presents."
As for what she does with clothes that she has already worn once for the red or blue carpet, she says, "I give it to somebody or save it for a holiday abroad. Or wear it while I go clubbing or dinner. I also give some to my sister."
Actress Kim Sharma says her dresses are reduced to two more wears and then the outfit just hangs in the cupboard.
"Unless it's a black dress that can be re-accessorised. I try to re-wear it to a friend's party or for dinner or while I travel abroad. It's a big pain and a criminal waste of money," says Kim, who was busy shopping when we got in touch with her. The actress goes on to add that she thinks twice before shopping abroad because the dresses cost a lot of money.
"In Hollywood, designers send celebs clothes, which are worn and sent back... all the big names like Valentino or D&Gu2026u00a0 purely to be photographed. I hardly patronise any designers because you can get better things abroad. Besides, how do I know if the clothes I buy are the ones that have already been worn by someone else," she says with a naughty laugh.
Nandana Sen, who has been dressed twice by Roberto Cavalli and once by Christian Dior, says that usually the designers approach the celebs. "As for returning the outfit, it's sort of up to you. International designers are
gracious about that. They don't chase you for the dress. In my experience, if I wanted to keep it, I could. They just need to make sure, that if anybody asks, I am to say Cavalli dressed me for it. But as a matter of principle, I don't keep anything for free."
