Will Bollywood celebrities be dressing up the same way they did pre-pandemic?

In the world before coronavirus, a stylist to the stars was rarely not on the go—hopping from one celebrity home to another for fittings, coordinating customisations with designers, travelling overseas for campaign shoots and making the occasional appearance at store launches. Almost an antithesis of the minimal-touch lifestyle the pandemic demands of us now. But without any red-carpet galas, press tours, high-profile weddings, launch events or even airport jaunts on the agenda for the foreseeable future, the average celebrity stylist is left with an unexpected pause in their otherwise chock-a-block calendar.

The global health crisis has wreaked havoc on their schedules, leading to a complete 180 in a matter of months. When the nationwide lockdown was announced in March end, stylist Tanya Ghavri had been working with Katrina Kaif and Janhvi Kapoor for their promotional wardrobes for Sooryavanshi and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl respectively. Both projects are on hold now, and Ghavri hasn’t dressed anyone since she styled Ananya Panday for Zee Cine Awards in early March. Mohit Rai too had some red carpet outfits finalised for Sonakshi Sinha and Disha Patani. Needless to say, they had to be returned without being used. “I worked on back-to-back assignments in February because the summer months are generally slow. Little did I know, the whole year is going to witness the same slowdown!” says Rai, who also styles Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Vaani Kapoor.

Trimming the excess

When celebrities say ‘it takes a village to look like this’, they aren’t lying. There is an army that works behind-the-scenes—stylists, their assistants, dress men, tailors, and hair and make-up artists are only some of the key members of this glam squad. But in the post-pandemic world, the team will be downsized and the process more streamlined. Ghavri feels stylists will have to work with fewer options. “The planning process will go digital. Instead of multiple trials, we will create mood boards and shortlist options through images shared with clients via WhatsApp and email. The number of back up looks will reduce as well. Everything will have to dry cleaned and heavily sanitised in advance,” says the stylist who frequently styles Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. “Fashion has always been about excess, but what worked previously will have to take a backseat. At least for now.”

As Rai rightly points out, celebrity styling in India is a relatively young industry, and has witnessed a boom only in the last six years. “It’s still figuring itself out. But there’s no denying that the industry has been disorganised. Everything was last-minute. We needed some correction, and this is an opportunity to do just that. The decadence of scale will have to be trimmed,” he adds. “Flying in (and then returning) multiple options from across the world only to use a nondescript tank top— that form of indecisiveness, and the wastage it causes, will go away.”

Priyanka Kapadia Badani, Vogue India’s fashion director, who has been styling and directing shoots through her computer screen since the lockdown, agrees. “Up until the lockdown, we knew only one way of working—you collect these clothes from all the world, send out a big team for fittings and shoot with an entourage. That changed overnight, and suddenly we were planning shoots from our living rooms. We were forced to think out of the box.” She feels that stylists will have to work with less, and be a lot more confident about their final shortlist. “Clothes look very different on a hanger and on a person. Often, it’s the personality of the celebrity that takes over. And as stylists, we let our instincts guide us on set. But the prep work and mood boards will have to be incredibly detailed now.” She also feels that the future will be about collaborating with people you trust, and who bring something exciting to the table. For instance, for Vogue India’s first made-at-home issue in June, Kapadia Badani asked style influencers like Lilly Singh, Tan France and Banita Sandhu to “shop in their closet”, as she helped them piece together the final looks via a video call.

Ami Patel, stylist to Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Isha Ambani among others, predicts that the crew on celebrity shoots, when they do resume, will become much smaller: “The approach will be cautious—fewer people on set all dressed in PPE, high screening and intense sanitisation. It will have to be as risk-free as possible.” Rai agrees. “We won’t have people loitering on set just because. Only those who are absolutely indispensable will be there in-person, with all other stakeholders joining in via Zoom calls.”

Take a step back on the red carpet

Earlier this year, fashion’s most sought after red carpet extravaganza, the Met Gala, was cancelled. So was the Cannes Film Festival that draws several Bollywood attendees like Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The fate of the red carpet for the rest of this year is not looking particularly bright either. “I do think there is still time for red carpets to resume—such events are big productions, and no one would be willing to expose themselves to such huge crowds right now,” feels Rai. When they do stage a comeback, Ghavri is of the opinion that the invitees will be heavily controlled. “So, the pre-event shoot with a look reveal look on Instagram—already a widespread practice with Indian celebrities—will become more important. They generally required a crew of 10-12 people, but even that will become smaller.”

Promotions are likely to move online—think Zoom calls, Instagram Lives and home-shot videos—for the foreseeable future. While international celebrity stylists like Morgan Pinney and Brian Coats have revealed that they are styling select star clients via FaceTime, the same isn’t true for their Indian counterparts just yet. “When any form of online promotions do pick up here, we too will have to adapt to styling celebrities digitally. The need to look amazing is not going away.”

An evolving sartorial sensibility

Self-isolation has reinforced a love for athleisure and lounge wear, even with the glamorous lot who top best-dressed lists. While Patel and Ghavri believe that this penchant for comfort will become a more permanent fixture in celebrity wardrobes, Rai adds that it doesn’t mean avant-garde looks are done. “We could all do with some fantasy and happiness right now. Fashion can provide that escapism with its colours and visuals,” he says.

The trio unanimously stands behind supporting homegrown labels. So far, there has always been a certain prestige value attached to wearing international labels. But the post-pandemic aesthetic will be a more conscious one, with celebrities keen to sport local brands. Not only will it be a more mindful step but also a practical one for their stylists—domestic sourcing, returns and customisations are easier, especially as access to international samples is likely to be limited. Kapadia adds that stylists and celebrities will work more closely to curate looks in advance rather than simply choose from a rack full of options. “Because everyone will think a lot more about why they are wearing a particular outfit, and what it says. The conversation on sustainability will move to the forefront, and it will be cool to repeat and rewear.”

While stylists are using this intermission to scout new designers for the future, they are also using it as some much-needed downtime. Ghavri, for instance, has taken this long a break for the first time in 12 years. “To get back to work eventually, we have to not work right now. This pause is our chance to hit reset,” says Rai. “That said, I can’t wait to get back on set. There is this beautiful order in the chaos of our world, which is a wonder to witness. It’s a high of its own kind.”

Also read:

How India’s multi-designer stores are hoping to revive fashion’s flagging spirits post-lockdown

Anushka Sharma: “During the first six months of our marriage, we spent 21 days together”

6 of Kate Middleton's sold-out Zoom looks that you can recreate with pieces from Zara, H&M and more