"PM Narendra Modi Is The Face Of India, I'll Dress Him In Chikankari"
PM Modi in Chikankari
Who wouldn't love to dress up PM Modi? He has an impeccable taste in fashion and makes sure all eyes are glued on him wherever he goes. Fashion designer Abhishek Sharma too would simply adore dressing up the PM in traditional garments like a bandhgala or bundi jacket. Both these garments are symbolic of elegance and were once worn by royals.
Abhishek insists that the fabric needs to be Chikankari, Lucknow's delicate and intricate hand embroidery style. The designer would love to team the jacket with a kurta and a dhoti because why not! Having the PM wear a dhoti will definitely inspire the young generation to embrace the attire with pride.
Dressing late Rohit Bal
No stranger to dressing male celebrities, Abhishek fondly remembers the first person he dressed. "It was my guru Rohit Bal," he says with a hint of nostalgia. "I customised two looks for him. One was a black linen jacket with wide pants and an embellished leopard on it. The second time I dressed Rohit was when the late fashion designer walked for me as a showstopper at Lakme Fashion Week."
How men's fashion has evolved
When one speaks of fashion, we instinctively think about women. However, men too have been paying great attention to how they look and what they wear. "Men's fashion has really gone through a lot of ups and downs," reveals Abhishek. "Designers are trying to push the boundaries, making it feel more approachable and not just restricting men's fashion to runways.
"What has truly changed is now men are giving it a thought and are more comfortable in their own skin rather than trying to just fit into a pre-conceived cast. Men are taking care and planning their looks well in advance," adds the designer who admits that he has worked with both men and women, alike.
Dressing men vs women
Ask him to pick a side and this is how he responds: "When I design, it's about feeling a particular way. When I'm in the process of creating a collection, the main core is the idea. That is the theme, and it does create an impulse in me that always inspires me to move forward.
"I am always in a lookout for what excites me and what I would love to wear. For example, women’s wear is all about beauty, power and sensual elegance. There are so many layers so whatever becomes prominent at that moment, aligns to the theme."
After PM Modi, Abhishek would love to dress British American sitar player and musician of Indian descent, Anoushka Shankar as he "loves her work and how she has been giving classical sitar a new global image".
Chef Ranveer Brar, the picture-perfect muse
Last month, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar uploaded an image from Cannes 2025 where he sported separates by Abhishek that got the Internet raving. "They say the world is your canvas... I like to be draped in one," the chef captioned the pic.
The outfit resembled a canvas or painting, and the look consisted of a gender fluid drape. Speaking about the outfit, Abhishek says, "What we did for Ranveer Bra was actually inspired by salt crystals. The reason for me to add a fluid drip was to give the structured jacket a bit of flare.
"Ranveer is usually seen in very gender structured styles. I wanted to amaze the viewers with a gender fluid approach."
"Usually when the young generation sees any art or craft, they appreciate it and its origin. But usually, they feel it's mostly for older people with a specific taste.
"I wanted to break that barrier with Ranveer. I want the people who are traveling the world or are having a global connect to embrace and proudly wear something that is deep-rooted and is close to our culture.
"The whole ideas was to bring people's attention to the artists and craftsmen who were involved in making the collection."
Working with Babil
Abhishek's latest project, Threads of Tradition features actor Babil. The designer has dressed his muse in two outstanding looks: First, is a cropped easy summer jacket with cutworm detailing teamed with pleated pants. Second, is a relaxed look where a bandhgala style jacket is styled with a layered T-shirt and wide hem pleated trousers.
Speaking about the experience working with the talented actor, Abhishek says, "He is a humble and down-to-Earth person who usually connects with people around without being fake.
"The looks that we did for Babil are shirt-trouser, with a bundi jacket and embellished pants. We also had a structured jacket for him for the second look. So basically, he transitioned from a semi-formal to a casual look."
Why styling should be any everyday job for all
Dressing celebs in no simple feat, but Abhishek makes it look easy-peasy. Does the designer feel that not just celebs, but the aam-junta too need to style their looks?
"Even if anyone doesn't admit or mention it, we are all styling ourselves in some way. Every day when we choose what to wear and what to team it up with, it’s all part of the styling game.
"What matters is how good are you at it. Styling is a very personalised approach. The same outfit or look can be styled differently depending on the personality of the person wearing it.
"The styling has to resonate with and amplify the person wearing the outfit. It's definitely not only for celebrities just because they just have a team to do that work for them."
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