Fashion forward for Bollywood with 'Aisha'

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Remember the Hollywood movies where you drool as much over the clothes and styling as over the plot? Now comes an Indian movie that promises to give glimpses of high street fashion in India and set a benchmark for Bollywood.

The film "Aisha" will see actress Sonam Kapoor embrace dresses that are soft and flowery, including a nude tulle flowery one with a bow and small pearls.

The woman behind this pretty wardrobe is Dubai-based designer Ayesha Depala.

"(In the film) Aisha Kapoor is a girl from Delhi. She loves her clothes and animals. She is very feminine and fashion forward. I could very much relate to her in the movie because she is quintessentially like my brand in many ways," Depala told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"My clothes are subtle and reflect the wearer's personal sense of style. Even a fully beaded couture piece will never be extremely embellished nor extremely revealing.

"A woman's sex appeal lies in her confidence and the clout she has from wearing her outfit as opposed to baring all."

Promos of "Aisha", produced by Anil Kapoor's daughter Rhea, are looking very stylish. All the female leads are looking chic and sophisticated. The effort that has gone into the clothes may remind the audiences of glamorous-looking movies like "Devil Wears Prada", "Priceless" and "Sex and the City".

If you log on to the official website of "Aisha", you will see Sonam sitting comfortably on a red couch wearing a nude tulle ruffled gown by Depala. She has also created little dresses that are soft and flowery. One of these is a nude lace shift with a racer back design and another nude tulle flowery dress with a bow and small pearls.

Though the entire look of "Aisha" has been designed by stylist Pernia Qureshi, who with the help of other designers has successfully given a feel of freshness to the movie, Depala was in charge of Sonam's wardrobe.

Depala met Sonam during the Dubai International Film Festival and they clicked on a personal level.

"Sonam and I clicked instantaneously. She liked my work and we talked about dressing her for the red carpet appearances. We chatted for a long time, which helped me a lot to know her personally," said Depala.

"It was long before 'Aisha' happened. One day I got a call from her sister Rhea and she asked me if I would be interested to design for her. So that's how I got this project," she added.

So how did she manage to sketch out dresses from such a distance?

"Rhea sent me the script and this helped me know Aisha better. We sent them a few ready-to-wear looks, which they selected and also, I did design a few dresses especially for her with Pernia's guidance," she added.

This is not the first time Depala is dressing a Bollywood celebrity; her dresses have been worn by Lara Dutta and Shilpa Shetty as well.

Her career began in 2002, when she launched her signature line - Ayesha Depala - under which she presents both ready-to-wear and couture.

The designer, who holds a degree in interior designing from Delhi, shifted to Dubai after marriage. After gaining a foothold in the Middle East, Depala is now aiming for the Indian market as well.

Apart from designing for "Aisha", she will take part in the HDIL-India Couture Week in Mumbai later this year for more visibility.

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Aisha