Channeling their creativity to clothes, several musicians are turning designers and debuting their fashion lines

Following her success as a singer and songwriter, Monica Dogra has recently turned fashion designer with the launch of her debut fashion line for Stylista.com. Inspired by her own personal style, the collection mirrors the singer’s varied inspirations that include music, cinema and contemporary art. Dogra is not the only musician to bring her creativity in the line of fashion. Nikhil Chinappa, one of the pioneers of EDM in India, recently launched a menswear collection. And then there is ace guitarist Randolph Correia, who has designed a collection of tees for men and women in association with Kulture Shop.

Dogra’s collection is inspired by her own personal style, which is very boho chic, and has a very grunge and rock vibe that’s perfect for music festivals, gigs etc. “She loves layering using clothes that can be styled in different ways, and this collection can be worn by women in so many different ways to represent their own personal style. Her collection is breezy and comfortable, and consists of beautiful prints, bohemian silhouettes and earthy colours — all of which represent Monica perfectly,” says Avnish, CEO of Stylista.com.

Nikhil Chinapa, besides being one of the first VJs, is also the brainchild behind the country’s exploding EDM scene. koovs.com has collaborated with Nikhil for a menswear collection. “Nikhil is well respected within the EDM world and has a large social media following. We wanted to take this energy forward and channel it into a clothing collection that would reflect the aesthetics of this scene,” says Robert Bready, creative and retail director, Koovs.com.

Talking about what appealed to him the most about this collaboration, Chinapa says, “The idea is actually one of the oldest one in the world, which is — ‘why not’! I had never done something like this before, so I readily accepted the offer. The behind-the-scene people and I seemed to be on the same wavelength, so I decided to take up the offer.”

Chinapa’s fashion sense makes him one of the coolest musicians in the EDM world. He quips, “However, my mom would not agree and likes to call it my ‘fashion nonsense’. I guess I have done my mom proud by designing something which she is not going to like completely, but my fans are giving me a positive feedback about the same.”

Talking about his collection, he says, “My collection is fuss-free yet quirky. There are some longer back tees, hoodies, trousers, sunglasses. When it comes to music, I am happy that musicians prioritise music, but I guess after music, it would not be a bad idea to focus on one’s fashion sense, dental hygiene, usage of hair gels and deodorants.”

In the West, it is a popular concept to have celebs like Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and others successfully running their fashion lines, while in India it still seems to be at a nascent stage. “E-commerce industry is certainly coming of age and they are constantly trying to establish themselves as an alternate shopping industry. Celebrities tend to add credibility and a high dose of glamour to their fashion lines, which encourages their followers to buy their products. In India, Bollywood, cricket and music work very well from consumer’s perspective. E-retail chains are tapping celebrities and now musicians with a good fan following in the digital world. Internationally, this trend is quite prevalent owing to the large amount of resources and support systems they have at their disposal to enter the fashion industry. I think the trend is nascent in India but is definitely picking up steam,” adds Anurag Rajpal, director & CEO, American Swan, who have recently roped insinger and rapper YoYo Honey Singh as their brand ambassador.

Talking about the association Honey Singh says, “I am looking forward to creating a music video for the brand. The brand positioning resonates with my quintessential approach to life, music and work, which is why I accepted the offer. The video will see me styled in looks that my fans haven’t seen before.”

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Entertainment> Music / by Aditi Pancholi / September 13th, 2014