‘Criticism works for me’

What makes him cut our Trendsetter list is not the fact that 20-year-old Manjul Nagar is 1st runner-up Mr North India University 2015 or the fact that he is a Mr North India 2016 finalist, but the fact that he went from 114 kilos to a lean 72 kilos (that too when rubbed the wrong way)! “It is people’s sarcastic jokes about my weight that made me shed all these kilos,” shares the B.Comm graduate from Chandigarh, currently pursuing CA. “Being a national-level footballer, I used to eat a lot and exercise a lot.” Till a freak accident made him undergo three surgeries, followed by countless kilos.

Latest addition to the wardrobe…

A blue-coloured t-shirt.

Brand freak or street smart?

I’m not a brand freak at all. The idea is to pick up anything from anywhere, as long as it looks good on you.

My style icon …

I strongly feel that you can follow fashion, fads but cannot emulate anyone’s style. So what’s the point of having a style icon?

Who’s the worst-dressed celebrity around?

Chunkey Pandey. Even if you leave his horrendous costumes from the films, his personal sense of dressing hardly does any good to him.

One fashion trend you don’t understand…

Slim fit tee-shirts. Who do boys wear them? If at all, they still look alright on lean-bodied men but men with a good built, they look awkward and even repulsive.

Your take on accessories

For me, accessories mean only belts. I am not an accessory person at all. Don’t wear even a watch!

One thing that boosts your confidence

Criticism (especially laden with sarcasm) works for me; more than compliments.

I would love to be dressed up by….

Designer Manish Malhotra. His last collection The Persian Story was just remarkable.

(As told to Manpriya Singh)

(If you think you too fit the profile,  get in touch with us at lifestyletribune@gmail.com; we will sift the best from the rest)