Stylist duo Pranay Jaitly and Shounak Amonkar from Who Wore What When talks to us on what it is to be dress celebrities.
We all remember the trademark or the iconic look that the celebrities wear on different occasions like photoshoots, film promotions, public events, etc. Very quickly we love or hate the look! Most likely, if the look is social-media approved, the credit goes to the celebrity, but for a bad look it all boils down to the stylist not doing a good job. It's not easy being a celebrity stylist, because one has to always find a balance between the celebrity's personal style, the need of the project/occasion and make it a trademark.
Stylist Duo Pranay Jaitly and Shounak Amonkar, Who Wore What When have dressed several celebrities ever since 2016, when the two returned to India from Milan after studying fashion. From editorial and advertorial shoots for several Magazines to a range of international and Indian brands, the two have worked with an array of celebrities like Vidya Balan, Radhika Apte, Kalki Koechlin, Chitrangda Singh, Diana Penty, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rajkumar Rao, Kunal Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Jim Sarbh to name a few.
Talking about their journey, both of them recall it as a happy journey of unexpected events that repeatedly took place in their lives when they came back from Milan. "We had no idea what the Indian fashion industry was about or how it worked because we had spent three years in Milan studying fashion. We had a blog called “Diary of a Camera”, which evolved into “Who Wore What When”, and we used it to cover Italian fashion in the city. We eventually began styling influencers and collaborating with publications such as L'Officel Greece to showcase some of our work. We came to India in 2016, did a shoot for Gaurang Shah, and kept it very traditional because we didn't know anything about Indian fashion other than what we had seen growing up. That's how our journey began; as a result of that shoot, Gaurang became our first client, and he referred us to a few others. Like we said before, it has been a joyous journey full of unexpected events.
We spoke to Pranay and Shounak to take us behind the curtain and tell us how it is to be in the shoes of a celebrity's stylist.
Here is what the WWWW-Duo has to say -
1. What is your first fashion memory?
Because we come from a non-fashion family, seeing our mother and grandmother dressed up all the time was most likely our earliest memory.
2. How do you define fashion?
We define fashion as something that is comfortable and an extension of who we are, rather than something that is imposed by a trend.
3. What's your approach when you first start styling someone?
When we begin styling someone, we conduct extensive research into what they've worn in the past, who they are, and what type of clothing would suit them. Knowing how they are at home, at events, and in real life is a long trial because the more you try, the more you learn about what complements them.
4. Who are some of your go-to designers for styling?
There are no particular designers who we favor. We choose designers based on the brief we receive, whether it's for an event or an editorial we're working on. Having said that, we typically collaborate with Indian brands, labels, and emerging designers. There is so much talent in our country, and we want to help it in any way we can.
5. What's the most fun part of being a celebrity stylist?
The most enjoyable part is the entire process of putting together the entire look, including sourcing, conceptualization, and thought, as well as the celebrity's approval of the look.
6. What’s the most challenging part of being a celebrity stylist?
The most difficult aspect is the tight deadlines, which keep us on our toes all the time.
7. Is there a difference when you style for shoots versus events? Are there certain types of looks the photograph best?
There are some looks that are photographed in a unique way. During the last two years of Zoom promotions, we discovered that whatever fits the top half of your body and gives shape to your body looks better on the zoom camera. Anything with a little skin showing on top, whether sleeveless, with a wider neckline, or with short sleeves, works well. For shoots, we play with couture a little more, going over the top and being a little extra.
8. As a stylist, what do you suggest someone should steer clear of?
Avoid just blindly following a trend. Wear something that makes you feel good because it will make you look better.
9. If you could teleport yourself to a fashion era, where would you like to go?
We'd love to live in Paris during the 1920s. It was stunning.
10. What did you like about that period?
We adore the rise of celebrity artists and the impact they have had on fashion.
11. How do you guys stay up on the game?
Several hours of research and Instagram scrolling. We are very critical of how we want to possibly showcase what we are doing, and staying aware of what is going on in the world and how it affects fashion is something that we keep up with in order to serve good work.
12. Any word of advice for an up-and-coming fashion stylist?
Believe in yourself, work hard, and reach out to people whose work you admire. Try to intern with them and learn that fashion isn't a never-ending party because it is insane work hours. Comprehend and recognize that you will need to start from the ground up, beginning with sourcing, returns, and packing.
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