Playing Dress Up

Bollywood’s leading men are changing the fashion scene and we dig in, how.

- Kangan Gupta

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is experimenting with layers and silhouettes. Rajkummar Rao is sticking to classics that make a statement. Wonder how? Freelance fashion stylist Isha Bhansali is the creative mind behind the heightened fashion sensibilities of your favourites actors (read Irrfan Khan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao and Ali Fazal). In a candid conversation, Isha discusses the steady rise of men’s fashion in the country, uncovers the glitz and glamour (not so much) of being a celebrity stylist and divulges the upcoming trends in menswear for our readers.

Do you have any formal training or degree in fashion?

When I decided to be a stylist, I thought of learning the basics of fashion. I did a diploma course from B.D. Somani College, Mumbai. I started my career as a stylist for a luxury lifestyle magazine and then went on to pursue MA in Fashion Journalism from London. I came back and worked as an associate fashion editor for another magazine. It is only since the last two and a half years that I have been working as a freelance celebrity stylist.

Who was your first celebrity client?

Irrfan Khan was my first ever celebrity client. I styled him during his promotional tour for Piku in 2015.

What inclined you towards men’s styling?