“Inspiring, entertaining and a sell-out” are some of the words that Ami Patel, a stylist to stars like Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Kangana Ranaut, used for a book that would offer a peek into the world of showbiz — if she ever pens it.
Known for having a knack of transforming people for good, Patel’s work spans from print, television to styling the Who’s Who of the Hindi film industry.
Since the L’Officiel India magazine’s former fashion director has been working in the fashion and film industries for long, does she plan to write a tell-all book or make a film on it’
“I would love to! And it will be inspiring, entertaining and a sell-out,” the Mumbai-based stylist, who is often credited for the choice of chic fashion pieces sported by choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, actresses like Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Madhuri Dixit-Nene, told IANS in an interview.
So, is it easy to style the stars’
“It is easy if you are prepped and tough if you are over-confident and blaise about your work,” she said.
While celebrities styled by her get a thumbs up when they hit the red carpet or pose for glossy fashion magazines, some of their colleagues end up in the ‘worst dressed’ list. Whom would she like to give the title to’
“I don’t want to criticise anyone as ‘one man’s poison is another man’s elixir’. I also know the hard work that goes behind this business; so, I would not want to criticise anyone else’s work,” said Patel.
In fact, she believes it’s important to have a stylist in today’s day and age.
“I think today, the world puts pressure on you to look your best… You could be a movie star, a corporate person or a well-known personality. Most people want to focus on their craft and leave the dressing part to the experts. So, yes I do think it’s important to have a stylist. I sometimes wish I had one,” said Patel, who finds her mother to be the most challenging client.
A stylist needs another stylist! Really’
“I’ve been critiqued for being under dressed. But honestly, after making my girls look their best, it’s just about throwing on separates and rushing to a shoot for me,” she said.
Moving on from Bollywood stars to politicians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has found many fans in Indian designers for his sartorial choices. Her take’
“He’s pretty bang on most of the time. May be, he could promote Indian weaves through his dressing if he’s not already,” said Patel about Modi, known for his signature style — kurta, pyjama and bandhgala jacket.
And now, she is winning hearts with her collection of everyday wear jewellery, which consists of many heart-shaped pieces.
“I’ve always searched for delicate jewellery that I can layer and stack. I could never find exactly what I loved. I got talking to Mithun Sacheti, founder of CaratLane (an omni-channel jeweller), and he was like ‘Why don’t we just collaborate and create what you are looking for”
“We had a back and forth on sketches and styles for two months to come up with the collection. What I love about the collection is that it’s precious, fashionable, affordable, gorgeous and versatile,” she said about the collection titled ‘Style By Ami for CaratLane’.
She is excited about pouring her creativity into the new medium.
“I am looking forward to creating videos on styling jewellery and having fun with it,” she said.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at [email protected])
By Natalia Ningthoujam
