“I’ve always been a very sort of summer dress, white T-shirt, jeans kind of a person,” says actor Chitrangada Singh, known for her memorable portrayals in movies such as Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Bob Biswas, and the critically acclaimed web series Modern Love: Mumbai. However, the former model is now delving headfirst into fashion , co-designing with the trueBrowns team the Spring-Summer 2023 collection Saadgi. The collection is an extension of her personal style with the use of traditional prints and dyes such as indigo, dabu, and Bagru along with hand-blocks in chic and modern silhouettes.
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“I brought in certain style elements such as the cut, depth, and shape of the neck, and even the length of the co-ord sets,” she says, incorporating her personal style and preferences in the design process. “We also made sure to use fabrics that were not too thick, focussing on comfort.”
Modern, comfortable
The collection is aimed at the modern Indian woman who values both comfort and style. “The fabric needs to feel good all day, but there needs to be a style element,” she says, with clean silhouettes being key for her. She also prefers jewel tones as her colour palette, stating that “Jewel tones are stunning on Indian skin, which is why we used a lot of yellows, deep greens, chocolate browns, oranges, and neon yellow — all quintessentially Indian hues.”
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Chitrangada places a premium on quality when choosing designer garments over the brand name, for the sake of sustainability and ethical fashion. She encourages shopping less and reusing clothing instead of disposing of it, as one potential solution.
Nod to the 90s
At present, Chitrangada is captivated by the resurgence of padded-shoulder and oversized blazers, a trend that harks back to the 90s and early 80s. “It’s such a cool vibe and adds an edge to any outfit,” she explains.
She is also thrilled about the resurgence of straight-fit jeans, a nostalgic nod to the 90s. “I love the ease and comfort of these jeans. They’re not constricting like skinny jeans, and they just look effortlessly cool,” she says.
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Chitrangada Singh wearing a piece from her latest Spring Summer 2023 collection for trueBrowns. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Songs and films
Talking about Hindi songs, Chitrangada has a clear favourite to play every time she enters a room. She reveals that it’s ‘Kala Chashma’, saying, “It’s got the coolest remixes, so that’s a perfect choice.” She also has her favourite from her film Desi Boyz, ‘Subah honey na dey’ which she loves.
As for her thoughts on the current state of the Hindi film industry, Chitrangada sees it as part of a larger need for revival and excitement across all industries worldwide. She credits Shahrukh Khan’s film Pathaan for bringing this revitalisation to Bollywood, saying, “You know, like how they were saying that Tom Cruise saved Hollywood with his film Top Gun, I think Shah Rukh Khan has done that for us with Pathaan.”
She has an upcoming thriller and murder mystery movie called Gaslight with Sara Ali Khan and Vikrant Massey. “It’s a very different role for me, and I’m very excited about it,” she says. She will also start shooting for a period drama soon.
Overall, Chitrangada is optimistic about the future of the Hindi film industry and notes that people are eager to return to theatres and celebrate. “Good things are coming, and it’s only going to get better now for us,” she says.