Velvet on the carpet
India’s front-row diva on why design matters, and the shoe labels she cannot do without
In the five years since her Bollywood debut, Sonam Kapoor has rapidly
become the international fashion face of India. This year, she occupied
front-row seats at the London, Paris and Milan fashion week shows,
including those of Burberry Prorsum, Dolce&Gabbana, Elie Saab and
Salvatore Ferragamo.
Design is everything, especially when it comes to luxury goods. From clothes to cars, pens, phones, design heightens the product. When Ferrari designs hairdryers, Suneet Varma collaborates with Judith Leiber, Lanvin and H&M join hands and (Christian) Louboutin and Swarovski pool resources, it ups the ante of the brand. Good design, along with a strong artistic sense, makes a product stand out. Packaging is also a big part of the luxury experience.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
I disagree. Most international haute couture houses use Indian karigars (craftsmen) and embroidery, whether it is Gaultier, Armani, Cavalli or Valentino. The difference is in the silhouettes and in the fabric, prints and cut of the outfit.
When it comes to choosing designer wear, what parameters influence your decision?
Since I am allergic to synthetics, I have to make sure I wear only pure, natural fabrics like cotton, silk, velvet. My father jokes that I was born to wear luxurious garments. Besides fabric, the cut is important to me. I liked buying things off the rack, but once you try made- to-measure, you get spoilt.
I don’t like to wear what others are wearing. I have to have my own identity, which is always a little hatke (different). Fortunately, there are designers all over the world who will design for me. Quality is paramount. Even the lace and embroidery have to be top of the line. When it comes to Indian wear, I like to be traditional, which is why I love Anuradha Vakil; she is the epitome of luxury.
Do you focus only on the garment or the entire look?
When I had the opportunity to go to the London Fashion Week, I knew I had to attend the Burberry show. Burberry is the epitome of English fashion, and I am a huge fan of Christopher Bailey, who had brought so much energy to the brand. I was invited to Italy by the Ferragamo family for the Shoes for a Star project. Their designs are clean, classic and wearable. I thought the Dolce&Gabbana collection was quirky and dramatic, and I am surely going to wear something from that line at Cannes this year.
Which international designers do you favour?
There are three designers that I am in awe of: Alexander McQueen (I dreamt of wearing him and would love to wear one of his archival pieces), John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier (who I am lucky to have worn).
Row 1: Sonam Kapoor in the front row at the Burberry Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2012 show in London. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.
Kapoor’s
style is hard to define, swinging from grunge to androgynous, hippy to
haute couture. No matter what the final effect, Kapoor tells us her
fashion choices are not always based on the label alone, but the
totality of the look she sets out to create. Edited excerpts:Do you believe design is more important than the label?Design is everything, especially when it comes to luxury goods. From clothes to cars, pens, phones, design heightens the product. When Ferrari designs hairdryers, Suneet Varma collaborates with Judith Leiber, Lanvin and H&M join hands and (Christian) Louboutin and Swarovski pool resources, it ups the ante of the brand. Good design, along with a strong artistic sense, makes a product stand out. Packaging is also a big part of the luxury experience.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
Kapoor attends the Cavalli Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 fashion show in Milan. Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images.
Traditional mixed with modern.Indian fashion design is often considered to be ‘more on more’ compared with Western haute couture. Do you agree?I disagree. Most international haute couture houses use Indian karigars (craftsmen) and embroidery, whether it is Gaultier, Armani, Cavalli or Valentino. The difference is in the silhouettes and in the fabric, prints and cut of the outfit.
When it comes to choosing designer wear, what parameters influence your decision?
Since I am allergic to synthetics, I have to make sure I wear only pure, natural fabrics like cotton, silk, velvet. My father jokes that I was born to wear luxurious garments. Besides fabric, the cut is important to me. I liked buying things off the rack, but once you try made- to-measure, you get spoilt.
I don’t like to wear what others are wearing. I have to have my own identity, which is always a little hatke (different). Fortunately, there are designers all over the world who will design for me. Quality is paramount. Even the lace and embroidery have to be top of the line. When it comes to Indian wear, I like to be traditional, which is why I love Anuradha Vakil; she is the epitome of luxury.
Do you focus only on the garment or the entire look?
At the Dolce&Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 show in Milan. Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images.
The
look in totality. I’m not practical at all when it comes to fashion. I
am a bag hag but I don’t like to change my bag every day. That’s perhaps
the only area of fashion where I am practical. I also have a shoe
fetish but because I have long and narrow feet, only a few designers
work for me—Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Salvatore Ferragamo,
and Giuseppe Zanotti. At Cannes last year, I was nervous about being in
high heels, so I wore my Ferragamo heels. They are so comfortable that
you can wear 6-inch heels and still climb a hill.How was the experience of visiting the London, Paris and Milan fashion weeks?When I had the opportunity to go to the London Fashion Week, I knew I had to attend the Burberry show. Burberry is the epitome of English fashion, and I am a huge fan of Christopher Bailey, who had brought so much energy to the brand. I was invited to Italy by the Ferragamo family for the Shoes for a Star project. Their designs are clean, classic and wearable. I thought the Dolce&Gabbana collection was quirky and dramatic, and I am surely going to wear something from that line at Cannes this year.
Which international designers do you favour?
There are three designers that I am in awe of: Alexander McQueen (I dreamt of wearing him and would love to wear one of his archival pieces), John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier (who I am lucky to have worn).
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