They’ve made Big B look trendier
Shveta Pathak talks to the designer duo, Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra,
who dress up Amitabh for KBC 2

Focused on fashion: Designers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra

THANKS to designer brothers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra, Amitabh Bachhan in KBC 2 sports a younger look. To ensure that the look does not appear staid, the designer duo also moved from the initial leather jackets and sporty look to something more dignified like striped shirts with handkerchief et al.

It was a conscious step to shift from his ‘corporate’ look in Kaun Banega Crorepati decision and aim for a younger and trendier appearance, says the duo. They were recently in Ludhiana to inaugurate a fashion line in Ebony. They are just five years old in the fashion industry but have designed for public figures like Hillary Clinton and back home for stars like Preity Zinta and Sushmita Sen.

It was these two designers who made the shy Irfan Pathan walk the ramp and made Harbhajan Singh sport a ponytail. "To give Amitabh a new look and was quite a challenge as one was dealing with the top man in Bollywood," reveals Shantanu, who provides the cutting edge to their business with his sharp managerial skills.

The duo now takes care of the entire wardrobe of Amitabh in KBC 2.
They, however, bagged this assignment only after a couple of achievements they could speak of. The brothers graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Nikhil was also featured in LA Times as "the designer introducing fusion in the true sense of the term." He worked as an assistant to Mary Gray, the owner of St. John Knits, a million-dollar fashion house and worked for clients like Hillary Clinton.
However, the two found their calling in the Indian fashion market, which, according to them, is still in its nascent stage. "Fashion industry in India is not very old. But there also is the fact that it has a lot for designers to offer due to its diversity. This gives designers tremendous opportunities to experiment unlike markets in the West, which is why we felt we could make a mark here," says Nikhil.

The two are happy that the Indian Government is recognising the potential of the fashion industry and promoting it through provisions like Foreign Direct Investment in retail. "There was a time when designer wear was worn by a select few, but now it has become more affordable and is available in retail stores. The retail segment has played a major role in bringing this shift. It also, to some extent, removes the barriers related to supply and infrastructure that designers faced while making their products accessible to the masses. The coming years would witness more changes," feels Shantanu.

On the Indian industry gaining a global platform, the duo says: "Few Indian designers have access to a global platform. The Indian fashion industry is still lagging behind." If more designers have to tap international markets, they add, there are issues like infrastructure availability and supply chain management that need to be taken care of.

Talk of international changes and the two think this is the right time to make the most of current Indian trends. "Yoga and ayurveda are in. So are many other aspects of Indian culture. Why not consider these as an opportunity and contribute towards the Indian fashion industry," says Nikhil, adding that a Punjabi jutti, for instance, costs a meagre Rs 100 in India but would be available for some dollars abroad. Plagiarism in fashion, they say, is difficult to curb, "for it is an industry in itself, that would remain, probably, for ever."

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