FASHION RIGHTS

ASHLEY REBELLO CHATS ABOUT DESIGNING FOR HAQ AND MORE WITH SRIJITA SEN

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Ashley Rebello immersed himself in the bylanes of Lucknow and Indore, slipping into weddings uninvited and striking up conversations with strangers, all in a bid to understand how Muslim families truly dress in their everyday lives.

Determined to move beyond familiar clichés, he wanted the world of Haq to feel lived-in and honest. The Suparn Verma-directed film, starring Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam and Vartika Singh, demanded that level of rigour and Ashley approached each character with the same meticulous care. For Emraan's look, he spent time with lawyers in Lucknow, studying their silhouettes and subtleties. For Yami and Vartika, he drew from the wardrobes of the mothers and sisters of his closest friends, observing the quiet elegance of their personal style. Every garment, he emphasises, was hand-stitched, not plucked off a store rack.

Reflecting on how the ease of fashion access today has reshaped the craft, Ashley travels back to his early days on Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and his work with Karisma Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre and Tabu. He recalls how, back then, film costumes often sparked trends, outfits were copied and recreated everywhere, something he believes has faded in the current climate. Before signing off, Ashley also leaves us with a handful of styling insights. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

How did you approach the styling in Haq?

Back in the '70s my parents never wore bell-bottoms, or my mom never wore the regular kind of sarees and