The National arts&life Tuesday, December 23, 2014 www.thenational.ae 03

CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE AWARD WINNERS Salwa Al Khudairi and Nada Al Mulla, architecture students at the American University of Sharjah, have style won the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2015 for their project, Keswa. The award, inspired by the husband and wife artist team (pictured) and presented by NYUADin partnership with Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, gives young artists a chance to launch their careers and work on a live project Labels of love  style file

Priti Salian finds out why Indian fans can’t get enough of the fashion collections designed by their favourite celebrities, from actors Hrithik Roshan and Bipasha Basu to the cricketer Virat Kohli Limited Edition by Deepika Would you buy a skirt because Padukone for Deepika Padukone has de- signed it? How about shoes Van Heusen created with input from Hrithik The A-lister recently Roshan? Some of India’s best- launched an AW 2014 known stars – from actors to cricketers – are branching out collection that high- into fashion, and local and in- lights her sense of ternational brands are only too style – expect many eager to collaborate and bring variations of the little to the masses new collections black dress, and coats associated with celebrity labels. and evening gowns Fans and beyond in shimmering reds and blues. Visit www. With many Indian fashion vanheusenindia.com/ trends – for men and women limitededition/ – originating in Bollywood, it stands to reason that a celeb label would do brisk business among fans. But while curiosi- KJo for Vero ty may drive a customer to sam- Moda Marquee ple the brand, factors such as affordability and practicality The filmmaker Karan will probably affect their future Johar launched his lim- purchases. ited edition collection The Label Corp (www.thela- for women in Septem- belcorp.com), an India-based ber. The line features online retail space that ships everything from glam- worldwide, boasts three ex- orous coats to classic tremely popular celeb-styled cardigans. The stylish lines that seem to have found the right balance of style, producer and director branding and affordability: also has a menswear The Closet Label with the ac- label — Karan Johar + tress Malaika Arora Khan, The Varun Bahl — in collab- Trunk Label with Bipasha Basu, oration with designer also an actress, and The Home Bahl. Visit www. Label with Sussanne Khan, veromodaindia.com/ ex-wife of Bollywood A-lister vero-moda-marquee/ Hrithik Roshan. Roshan is also part of this fash- ion brigade, having launched his sportswear brand HRX Lara Dutta for this year. HRX is now the sec- Chhabra 555 ond-best-selling private brand Lara Dutta, a former out of the top 10 at Myntra (www. myntra.com), India’s best- model and Miss Uni- known online retail portal (it verse, ventured into only ships locally). What helps creating ethnic Indian is that all the apparel in the line fashion with Chhabra is priced between 599 and 2,999 555. Her designs are rupees (Dh35 and Dh174), just aimed at “the contem- like The Label Corp’s celeb col- porary woman”, and lections. include saris and “We get 40 per cent ‘return’ shalwar kameez at customers – but most of them affordable prices. The are not just fans of Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora and Sus- second edition of her sanne Khan, which we know Left, cricketer Virat Kohli at the launch of his line WROGN; right, the actress Bipasha Basu designs shoes for The Trunk Label. On the cover: collection includes from our constant interac- Alia Bhatt designs for Jabong; Hrithik Roshan recently launched HRX, a sportswear collection. Courtesy Myntra.com; The Label Corp; AFP wedding saris. Visit tion with them,” says Preeta www.chhabra555. Sukhtankar, The Label Corp com/lara-dutta founder. “Besides the label the forecasting team has pre- a hard-to-find category it is in of all kinds,” say Delhi-based de- sporting the name of their fa- dicted the trends for the new India.” signer Varun Bahl, who seems vourite stars, they’re also look- season. They then work close- Next spring, Myntra will also open to the idea of celebs want- Alia Bhatt for ing for comfort, affordable pric-  ly with the designers and vet start selling Indian cricketer ing a share of the fashion mar- es and wearability.” The youth of every piece before­ giving their Virat Kohli’s recently launched ket. “The youth of today is open Jabong ­approval. apparel label WROGN (pro- to experimentation in trends The young actress, How involved are the today is open to Sukhantar also believes that nounced “wrong”) for men. and designs, which grants celebrities? who is barely a few experimentation in the stars’ jet-setting lifestyle ex- “We co-create our products the celebs inroads into the movies old, has also “Myntra would never work with trends and designs, poses them to worldwide fash- with direction from the celebri- industry.” stars who cannot devote time ion trends, endowing them with ties, and Kohli is no different,” A Mumbai-based fashion jumped on to the to their label,” says Gautam Ko- which grants the global vision while allowing says Kotamraju. designer to the stars, Nikhil bandwagon with her tamraju, the retailer’s chief cre- celebs inroads into them to stay true to their roots. Kohli, who offers his opinions Thampi, agrees, and believes own line of clothing ative officer. “We wanted to do bright-yel- on the functionality of the prod- it can only be a good thing “be- for twentysomethings. “It is all about them – their the industry low dresses for The Closet Label ucts, has shared a lot of his own cause it will provide an opportu- “Alia is fond of the aspirations and style – and we Varun Bahl designer once, but Malaika advised us wardrobe with the brand’s de- nity for the retail industry’s eco- bohemian look and has need time to factor in all that,” to work with a deeper mustard, sign team to give them an idea nomic growth”. added a lot of faded he adds, pointing out that de- which goes better with Indian of his style. Delhi-based designer Rajesh and ripped jeans to her spite the fact that “Roshan had skin tones,” she says. “We get his ideas on the fabric, Pratap takes a more cautious Jabong collection,” a difficult year [the actor went “As for Bipasha, she is passion- colour and fit of the product” be- approach. says Arun Chandra through major surgery and a ate about high heels but sug- fore hitting the drawing board, “Celebrity status does help in divorce], his dedication to HRX gested we design shoes with me- says Kotamraju. connecting with a consumer,” Mohan, founder and didn’t waver”. dium heels because the average says Pratap. “However, the de- chief executive of “Both Arora and Basu are pret- Indian woman would definitely What do established signs and work have to consist- online retailer Jabong. ty involved at the ‘practical lev- buy that. designers think? ently follow through for the la- Visit www.jabong- el’,” says Sukhtankar. She calls “And our swimwear collec- “The fashion industry is growing bel to sustain itself.” world.com. It ships the actresses “tastemakers” tion was launched at Malaika’s at a remarkable rate and there is internationally. who step in immediately after behest. She pointed out what space for designers and stylists ĝĝ[email protected]