HYDERABAD : “Did you know that there is art and science behind dressing up an actor for a role? Or for that matter deciding to give a particular look to a person for an occasion?” asks Jahnavi Ellore, an anchor-turned designer and stylist, with her own studio called Ukiyo Creations in Srinagar Colony in Hyderabad. As an anchor about a decade ago, she was always a style icon and her desire to make people look even more beautiful, she says, made her take up styling.
Her latest outing Evaru, starring Adivi Sesh and Regina Cassandra, now in theatres, is already making people ask who the person behind the sleek looks are. “My team including my rockstar work partner Sura Reddy and I started working for movies 18 months ago and we have designed for Arjun Reddy and Evaru. The designer-stylist says she is a free spirit who loves to find romance in every detail in life and therefore dressing up people comes naturally to her. She says as she got comfortable in her 12 year old marriage and a high school grader at home, she decided to shake things up by taking up styling for films. Her team of 25, mostly from Jaipur, are her strengths, she says.
“Styling is all about understanding human anatomy. I know it sounds far fetched, but that’s how I operate. From the inches I want to put for a top for a busty girl to the kind of pleats on trousers for a tall man in the movies, I like to understand the science and art before I give the outfits,” she says while recalling how she once got 97, literally those many, butterflies embroidered for Regina in Evaru on her jacket for a landmark scene in the movie.
Styling in movies is not just randomly deciding on a colour because it looks good on the screen or on the person playing the character. “It is about understanding the scene, discussing with the art director and director of photographer for over two weeks on what the scene wants to convey and how to dress the characters. In one instance, I gave Regina a backless blouse, but it is sanskari in the front. The scene is supposed to convey her two different personas to the audience. Similarly, Sesh is actually a suave NRI with a flawless complexion. To make him look like a corrupt police cop who is about making a quick buck needs a different treatment. I shopped locally and give it a local look.”
She ends her interview with a little fun fact. That the bag that Regina carried in a scene where she walks with swag in a white top and baby pink skirt is an original Gucci bag worth `1.8 lakh and can be found in PVP office now. “The more authentic we are, the better the movie looks,” she says saying that now she is all excited to dress up two of Tollywood’s most handsome men – Vijay Devarakonda and Adivi Sesh for their next big flicks, World Famous Lover and Major.
Considering you are going party big time, here is the look for Dasara get-togethers
A pastel flowy lehenga so that it never feels you are trying too hard to impress
The soft drape will make you feel relaxed and chilled out
The blouse is sheer and lightweight to let you breath easy
The neck is deliberately wide and deep so that you can add some blingy neckpiece to the outfit
Go for a Solitaire neckpiece so that the top catches attention
Team it up with silver chandelier earrings
The almost backless top lets you cover it up when in a pooja and leave it to look gorgeous when you are in the right place and company
kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi