Style with zing

The world of stylists has exploded

- REYA MEHROTRA

Natasha Poonawalla, executive director of Serum Institute in India, looked like a Greek goddess as she walked the red carpet at the 2022 Met Gala. Embracing maximalism, she wore a Schiaparelli metal corset and custom couture sari and trail by designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Though it was she who wanted to wear a sari, it was celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania who brought the look to life. Earlier this year, at the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, Natasha once again turned heads in a silver metal plate bustier paired with silver ear cuffs. This time, it was Rhea Kapoor who styled her. Another iconic look was when she wore an Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla creation with a crystal beaded veil, styled by Pranay Jaitly and Shounak Amonkar. While Natasha's reputation as a global style icon has grown, the army of stylists who have crafted that carefully-curated image remains behind the scenes.

Once a thankless and overlooked job, the styling industry has exploded, with stylists being the bridge between fashion and celebrities. As film promotions, method dressing, launch events, influencers and collaborations boom in this social media age, public appearances need to be well-planned, and the need for a stylist becomes critical.

Notably, it is not only actors who are seeking stylists, but also corporates, wedding parties, influencers and royal families. Jaipur royal scions Gauravi Kumari and Padmanabh Singh, for example, are collaborating with top stylists to make a statement. When the U.S. Polo Assn. recently announced Padmanabh as its new global brand ambassador, it was stylist Selman Fazil who designed his looks for the USPA x Pacho Jaipur autumn-winter 2024 collection. Gauravi-the Indian brand ambassador for Jimmy Choo―was styled by Anaita for one of her shoots.