HYDERABAD: Retro in today’s day is a theme that many love to party in. But creating looks that seem out of that day and age is no mean feat. Gauri Naidu who is the costume designer for the recent Gaddhalakonda Ganesh had her work cut out. “I was styling the entire main cast – Varun Tej’s young look in the 80s, old look in current time as a gangster, Pooja Hegde’s 80s look, Atharva as today’s youngster. With so many variations I now have the experience of five for one film” says Gauri.
So what goes into making these outfits look authentic? “We used only fabrics that are indigenous to our twin states. All the fabric, like cotton, khadi and or a cotton mix, were sourced particularly to get the feel of the characters.
The clothes were also aged and dyed to make it feel more worn in and natural,” she explains. Prints and bright colours might be perfect for a party but when it comes to the real 80s they are a no-no. Gauri says, “We avoided prints that we find today. Any prints or stripes that we used were designed by me in photoshop and created specifically. We used mostly solid colours in earthy tones to complement the characters’ mood.”
Gauri’s interest lies in costume design and styling. “I love getting the briefs of characters and understanding their minds to create their looks. With the concepts that are coming up today, there is a lot of scopes to experiment and make the most of a scene or a film. That is where I want to focus right now. Gauri is currently in talks with a few production houses for costume designing for their films.
Gauri’s suggestion for work to Dandiya look
The easiest outfit that you can wear to work and carry it off for a Dandiya party has to be the white kurta. It’s a versatile piece of garment and you can style it with palazzos, a skirt or even distressed jeans which works perfectly for both office casual and for the evening festivities. Pair the outfit with chunky silver jewellery, either heavy jhumkas or a statement neckpiece. Pick your favourite Kolhapuris to go with it so that you stay a comfortable day in and during your night out.