The Bollywood Effect: A Celeb Stylist on Movies Influencing Festive Fashion

Celebrity stylist and costume designer Akshay Tyagi looks toward Bollywood’s influence on pop culture and its subsequent effects on our wardrobes, especially during festive times

Long before Instagram facilitated the birth of fashion influencers, celebrities and their on-screen outfits were building blocks for the wardrobes of those looking for outfit inspiration. Akshay Tyagi, who styled actor Tara Sutaria in the movie Marjaavaan (produced by T-Series and Emmay Entertainment), believes it does so even now. He turns toward the “trickle-down” effect of fashion to breakdown a look that became all the rage, and adds how that can become our go-to this festive season.

The look: Tara Sutaria’s kurta and Patiala pants look

The Idea: “The idea was to show Tara’s character, Zoya, as a simple young North Indian girl in Mumbai. She is an interesting combination of modern and conservative – something that can be gauged from her pastel kurta that has a traditional silhouette but is also sleeveless. We have finished the look with a pair of simple gunmetal-coloured silver earrings and Kolhapuris with block heels. The handcrafted white dupatta is from local artisans.” 

The Festive Appeal: “A short kurta and Patiala bottoms are a timeless combination that will never go out of style. But what makes this look better is that it gives the space for you to use the pieces that you already have. Or, at least, you can build a look around one hero piece. If you have an embroidered dupatta, you can get a simple kurta stitched and wear the look and vice versa. The idea is to build a sustainable capsule wardrobe even for the festive season.”

Recreating This Look for the Festive Season: “This is a very simple day look that can be worn to any night-time festivities by tweaking it a little. The kurta can be made with a fabric that is embroidered or is embellished with sequins. You can also add a lavish border to it to keep the look relatively simple. Accessorise with a choker or with a pair of statement earrings and a big maangtikka. Gold-coloured Kolhapuris or any other gilded footwear can be paired with the look.”

Festive Season Trend: “I believe in keeping things classic. So a simple look like this or a sari is perfect for the festive season. Akanksha Gajria’s tie-and-dye sequin drapes and Arpita Mehta’s fun numbers are some great options. However, if you really want to switch things up, then there’s no one like Anamika Khanna.”