You’ve seen her perfectly play that trademark Bollywood girl – demure, elegant and lovelorn – in Aashiqui 2, and you’ve heard her turn songstress through her track in romantic thriller Ek Villain. Now, Shraddha Kapoor adds another feather to her hat, taking her first steps into the world of fashion. Kapoor’s debut as a designer is clothing line Imara, a set of affordable designs, all conceptualised by the actor in collaboration with artisans from Universal Sportsbiz Pvt. Ltd. The theme behind the creations: fantasy. You’ll notice it in the ads featuring her chanelling characters like Thumbelina and Little Red Riding Hood while wearing her label of western silhouettes in Indian prints.
1. What’s the label about?
It feels really cool to be a part of this brand. It’s called Imara, a fusion word which means strong and resilute. So, it defines who the brand is for – a powerful, independent woman.
The collection is a reflection of what the times are like today. Fashion is changing at such a rapid pace in India, and every woman has grown up with her own traditional values that she fuses with her modern surroundings and with her fierce and independent personality. I don’t think it gets better than that.
2. What inspired this jump into designing?
I think it was my belief in the importance of never giving up. I heard about the idea behind Imara, and it was bang on with my ideals. A lot of people don’t know about my first two films, and in spite of that, I kept going. It’s important to believe in yourself. I feel like if you have your eye on the prize, and you’re persistent and fuelled by ambition, something positive will come out of that. I really like that sensibility about the brand, which is why I really wanted to front it and spearhead it and make it mine.
3. We’ve spotted you in a traditional Anamika Khanna lehenga last Diwali and a cool Shivan & Narresh sari at Arpita Khan’s wedding. Which comes closer to your personal style?
To tell you the truth, I love the traditonal stuff, and the new twists in Indian wear. That’s why I had a great time wearing that pink Shivan & Narresh sari, and the Anamika Khanna. I love both ends of the spectrum and I’ve brought that into my designs for Imara too. The clothing fuses tradition and modern elements. And it’s affordable, any woman can just get her hands on it without shelling out some crazy psychotic amount of money for it, I think that’s the best part.
4. Who are your three favourite designers?
First of all, the people who are designing for Imara now – all the artisans, they’re the new additions to my list and I really want to spend more time with them soon. Then of course, there’s Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Manish Malhotra.
5. Pick one: Saris vs lehengas
Nothing beats a sari I think. Especially the ones that have a unique, modern look.
6. Tell us about one ethnic look you’ve worn in the past that means a lot to you.
I’ve got two! When Sabyasachi gifted me a sari, that meant a lot! The second would be the blue sari I wore in Aashiqui 2. People started making duplicates of that sari – and the jhumkas I wore with them – and tagging me on Instagram, it was crazy!
Imara clothing is available at Shoppers Stop and Amazon.com post February 14. It will also be available at Central, Ethnicity, Myntra.com, Snapdeal.com, Flipkart.com and Jabong.com post February 21.