CHANDIGARH is OPEN and EXPERIENTIAL, says VIKRAM PHADNIS

City is ‘open and experimental’, and when it comes to fashion, Chandigarh has a distinct favour, says the Bollywood designer Vikram Phadnis, writes Mandeep Puri..

“Every city has its own style of dressing and it’s very difficult to rate, but yes, when we talk about Chandigarh, we can say it’s not very high on flamboyance but has a style of its own”, says the designer who designs the Indian industry and his creations become trendsetters for the world. Vikram Phandis was in city for Blenders Pride Magical Nights Tour fashion show.

Among the most STYLISTs....the designer who had been designing for Bollywood for long has his own favorites too. Of course, Salman is the most stylish man in Bollywood. He is a style icon without an effort, feels Vikram Phadnis .
A long journey in the fashion circuit, his career spans over 17 years. Ask him what’s next, and he replies, “I’m writing a script for my film. Though nothing in my career had been pre-planned, but direction has always been a conscious step.”

Friday fashion changes in Bollywood. And with it trends change across the globe," declares, Vikram. As proof, he cites: "People actually ask their designers to customise various dresses shown in Bollywood films for them. For instance, the sherwani's and lehngas in the film Mujhe Se Shaadi Karoge became very popular."

From Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Sushmita Sen, Bipasha Basu, Ayesha Takia, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora to Karisma Kapoor...yes..he has dressed them all!

Designing for a comedy movie is easier as compared to character driven script points Vikram. “Surprisingly, I have always designed for comedy movies, most of which have been directed by David Dhawan,” Speaking of Bollywood, the designer has spent over a year working on the outfits for Sushmita Sen for the forthcoming film ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’.

Speaking of challenges, for Vikram it was ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’ that put his creative abilities to test. “I spent two years of my life putting together 800 costumes for the film. From the leading actors to the dance troupes, everyone got to wear clothes designed by me,” says Phadnis.

While among the men Salman Khan is the ‘The’ style icon of Bollywood", for the ladies, he says it’s a forever changing list...just like fashion.
Describing his first visit, the designers says, “I first came to Chandigarh for the shooting of Namastey London and I must say the city has a distinct flavour in fashion. In fact for the movie Namastey London, I created quite a few designs for Katrina after watching the ladies here.”

What was he showcasing at the show? “
It’s club wear, so it has to have a lot of bling. My garments are Bollywood-inspired and have a lot of embellishments.”
On fashion front, “After this, I have Lakme Fashion Week and for the LFW I will present a bridal wear collection for the first time.” He spells bridal trends for the season, “My collection is going to be different. I am presenting earthy but fiery hues. It’s going to be a royal old-world charm.”