Chic is the mantra

Subtle and sophisticated or chunky and neon, it's the drama of clothes that enthuses designers Gauri Karan and Urvashi Kaur

Fashion designer Gauri Karan

 

Of Chanel bags and Louboutin wedges

Your clothes mirror your personality and designer Gauri Karan, who is known for her glamorous cocktail dresses, follows this philosophy to the hilt. Karan believes that sophistication is not about how many unaffordable labels you possess, rather how you can be a winner with high-street brands. White is her favourite hue and you can see it in abundance in her sprawling bungalow in Mehrauli, Delhi. “I wear white blouses in the day with flared jeans, which I pick up from Diesel and Lucky Brand. The fit is spectacular,” she says.

Karan does most of her shopping in Europe and New York, so you see an assortment of linen pants and tank tops in her wardrobe. “Zara, Forever 21, Mango and Promod have revolutionised a working woman’s closet. They spoil you with affordable options,” she adds.

Some of her favourite pieces include dresses by Tunisian design stalwart BCBG Max Azria, Ted Baker and Moroccan label Joseph. “I am a sucker for elegance. My mother has always inspired me, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and has great taste. I don’t believe in dripping labels from head to toe, that would be vulgar,” says Karan.

Maybe that’s why she is not big on jewellery. The only bling she loves is a pair of pearl earrings, to make a statement when combined with a dress. “If the dress is bold and vibrant, I keep the rest plain, and never accessorise,” she explains.

Karan is a wedge heel lover, as comfort comes first. So it is a Louboutin, Aldo and even Steve Madden where she finds ease. In a closet full of prized possessions, her most loved one is a black Chanel 2.55 which she carries with her every time for her night outs. “I am not much of a Louis Vuitton girl, I don’t like anything in-your-face, or monogrammed. It is as if you are trying to show off. Subtlety is the name of the game for me,” she says.

And like most Delhi girls, Karan loves Indian wear even though she doesn’t design any (her eponymous label is a red carpet specialist flaunted by the likes of Priyanka Chopra), so she buys saris and angarakhas from Rohit Bal and Sabyasachi Mukherjee. “I like colour, so you can see pinks, emerald greens along with monochromes in my wardrobe,” she concludes.

 

Alexander McQueen jostles for space with Stella McCartney

Fashion designer Urvashi Kaur

Being the daughter of former Army  chief, General (retd) J J Singh, designer Urvashi Kaur had the privilege of experiencing different cultures, and that’s how she acquired a vibrant palate for design. Her mother Anupama, who is an artist, influenced her jewellery collection. “My mother has the most sparkling antique silver jewellery from all over the world, so yes, I love, bold, chunky jewellery,” smiles Kaur. One spots a magnificent, necklace that she bought in Morocco, along with silver cuffs encrusted with vibrant stones and long earrings in her closet. “My style depends on my mood — it can be traditional one day and quirky, or contemporary the next day. Some of my most cherished rings were picked up during vacations in Greece and Sicily,” she says. Kaur’s walk-in closet is a fashion addict’s delight as you will find things neatly stacked up, with a separate section just for shoes and bags. As of now, Kaur is enjoying a neon moment, so you will see bright fuchsia belts and hair bands rubbing shoulders with ensembles in fairly simple, clean silhouettes. “I am a big fan of drapes, I like fluidity,” she admits.

Kaur is also addicted to prints. So, while in the UK, she picked up printed dresses by Greek fashion guru Mary Katrantzou, evening dresses by the Serbian label Roksanda Ilincic and got smitten by Peter Pilotto’s sculptural shapes and wrap frocks. “I admire the French label Celine (Céline Vipiana). As a nation, the French understand style, exude chic-ness and their cuts are minimal yet effective. Though I like a bit of drama in my clothes, I am not a traditional straight-silhouette lover. I like the anti-fit,” she confesses.

The Japanese philosophy of oversized elegance can be seen in her choice of Issey Miyake tops. Stella McCartney’s structured, sophisticated wonders won over Kaur’s heart, though she also wears relatively new designers like Greco-Austrian Marios Schwab —  a dress that she bought from him was a careful blend of craftsmanship and technology. “His aesthetic is quite similar to Lanvin, everything I like is a bit like ‘less is more’,” says Kaur.

Interestingly, she also subscribes to the Vivienne Westwood’s punk, offbeat outlook towards fashion. “She is  not afraid of making bold choices,” she adds.

Kaur has a fetish for jackets, with some stunning Alexander McQueens, along with Rajesh Pratap, and Pankaj and Nidhi finding space in her wardrobe. “My newest acquisition is an electric blue, sharp-shouldered Roland Mouret jacket, I saw it hanging in a store, it was love at first sight, I had to have it,” she grins.

Admitting that she looks for ingenuity and not labels, Kaur’s closet has a bamboo clutch with silver carvings on the four corners that she brought from Thailand. And that’s why you will find mirror work jholas and handicrafts on her must buy list. “For a night out I would wear a pair of wedges, a tuxedo-style jacket and a Celine shirt. But I won’t say that I don’t like my Jimmy Choos, I love the double shaded ones  — neon with black that flew back with me from Paris,” she concludes.