Fashion starts with who you are

Kalki Koechlin walked the ramp at the 11th edition of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour (BPFT) 2015. And, before she headed towards the main venue, the 31-year-old actress in a tête-à-tête with CityTAB spoke about her philosophy on fashion, her love for food and what connects her to the world of travel

She is fun, quirky, unconventional and spontaneous—a powerhouse, who redefined the modern Indian actress with enthralling performances in films like ‘Dev D’, ‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’, ‘Shaitan’, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and ‘Margarita with a Straw’. Six years in the industry, Kalki Koechlin says, “It is good to be different from others because that makes you interesting and leaves an impact on the work you do.”

Excerpts from the interview

What is your philosophy about fashion?

Fashion is about style and personality, which comes out the way you dress but it starts off with who you are. For example if you are a sportsperson, your fashion is going to reflect the kind of activities that you do. So the same thing goes for actors, we all have a taste in films, the choices we make and that somehow translates in the way one dresses up, the way they carry out and present themselves in front of the public.

How would you define your personal style?

It is very mercurial. But, usually I prefer more of comfy and casual wear. Sometimes, you will see me in a very high fashionable outfit, classy like Coco Chanel, full on “matching matching” (laughs), sometimes you will see me in a pair of pyjamas lazing around. I like to experiment with style, I get bored with my clothes quite quickly so I constantly change the way they are.

Coming to BPFT, you walked for Abraham & Thakore. How would you define their collection and your outfit in particular?

My outfit was quite a surprise, very unconventional and different from what we normally see. They both are very adventurous in terms of design and good at finding that model element, something that is relevant today.

Who is your favourite fashion designer?

Sabyasachi Mukherjee. He is incredibly good at understanding the local talent and finds artisans from all over the place whose work has been forgotten and is left behind. He employs them and gets them going, so that is something really fantastic about him. And also he understands my style; I never get bored wearing his outfits. I feel comfortable and confident and that makes me all set to go.

Moving a bit off the track, you did theatres and films. What is more difficult?

Every medium has its own challenge. Theatre is extremely rigorous; you really have to put a lot of time and effort into it. It is very spontaneous. Theatre has live audience and you’ve got to be on your toes. Films, I think are more eternal. You cannot hide your eyes or emotions from the camera.

Any faux pas that you feel an individual should avoid?

I am really not a fan of an animal print. It can look sexy but if it is something like leotard, I feel it doesn’t look good at all. One should wear outfits they are comfortable in. You want to wear lungi, go ahead and wear it, it is cool. You can pull off anything if you have the comfort and confidence. We are lucky to live in a multi-cultural world, just believe in whatever you wear.

What you do when you are not working?

I love to travel. I am an outdoor person. I go trekking and scuba diving. These adventure trips boost my energy and save me from the chaos.

By Meenakshi Sengupta