Look no further

Manika Ahuja

For her, a good stylist is the one who is adept at ‘creating a style’, in contrast to the one who simply puts together a total look on a runway model. So, it is essential to recognise the distinct difference between the two. Meet celebrated French stylist Natalie Yuksel, who has styled Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor’s look in the much-anticipated film Befikre — her first Bollywood project as a fashion stylist.

So, if you found yourself admiring Vaani Kapoor’s snazzy pair of dungarees coupled with a crisp black crop top or her tied-up tee with a pair of high-waist shorts look from the film’s viral song Nashe Si Chad Gayi, you now know whose creative mind made that happen!

But when it comes to creativity, it goes without saying that every creative mind needs people who trust in its abilities. As Natalie puts it, her first brush with Bollywood as a stylist was a smooth sail courtesy the film’s director Aditya Chopra, who she says, “Was always open to listening to my suggestions and ideas. There were no contradictions between us, whatsoever.”

Staying true to character

For someone who likens the work of a stylist with that requiring thorough examination and observation about things such as, “what the wearer wants to say through his/her get-up,” there is no way that her resolve of staying true to the film’s characters would not have spelt loads of research.

Yuksel nods her head in ready agreement and smiles, “Yes; I met Ranveer and Vaani to understand their personalities, read the film’s script to make sure I knew the story inside out, and that is when I finally decided to start styling.” And that is not all, Yuksel also thoroughly researched Bollywood’s trends to create Vaani’s look, “I try to break away from clichéd looks. Watch the film and you’ll see that there are different looks to showcase the characters’ evolution.”

Sexy is an attitude

True to her claim of doing away with all sorts of dressing and styling clichés, Yuksel does not like the fixed notion that a little black dress is the ultimate way to look sexy. “A pair of denims worn with a t-shirt is not only super casual and comfortable, but is equally sexy. I firmly believe that sexiness is an attitude, it simply depends on how you wear a particular piece of clothing.”