Couple Code with Gaurav Chakraborty & Riddhima Ghosh

GAURAV & RIDHIMA SHOOT FOR A COLOURFUL ALBUM WITH INDIAN COOL AT ITS CORE

Rows of printed shoes lining one side of the room, laden with more prints. And more colour. Quirky brooches sitting dapper on a table. The Bengali-at-soul solitude of Raajkutir-Swabhumi’s Nayeeb Moshal was swept over by an upbeat sensibility, but equally quaint in spirit, on a super hot Tuesday when the shot Gaurav Chakrabarty and Ridhima Ghosh in Mr. Ajay Kumar, a four-year-old label founded in Bangalore by designer Ajay Kumar who has been calling Calcutta home with wife Lavanya and their six-year-old son Siddhant for the past two months. While Raajkutir-Swabhumi spoiled us silly with backdrop choices, little Siddhant’s enthusiasm was infectious. A six-and-half-year old in a bow tie? Like father, like son!

AJAY SPEAKS...

The DNA of Mr. Ajay Kumar:
We thought we will try to bring out our Indian culture through our prints. We try to build a story around a theme and we are colourful people. India is known for colours. I love colours. We love bright colours and anything in between doesn’t excite me much. There’s no limit to colours. And, the colours should be Indian colours. We are heavy on digital prints. We put print on print and we are not scared. For me, everything should be loaded. We Indianise everything and give it a modern twist. People also love our fits. I generally tell everyone to be yourself and there is no harm in experimenting. Enjoy!

KNOW AJAY...

Born in UP
Brought up in Bokaro
Studied fashion designing from NIFT, Delhi (2003 batch)
Was heading Peter England design, before starting his own brand
Lived in Bangalore for over a decade

AJAY’S FAVES...

Fave motif: Lotus
Fave colour: VIBGYOR
Most experimental celebrity: Ranveer Singh
Fave designer: Hussein Chalayan
A global celebrity you would love to dress: Leonardo DiCaprio

Urban Leanings

After spending the lockdown in loungewear doing WFH, men are stepping out looking dapper while also ticking the comfy box. Against the sombre sky, for a change, men in Kolkata are now throwing up surprises. This season, men are happy to experiment with quirky shirts. The funky shirts make them stand out. Indian men like to portray an image that is bold and dynamic, says Shilpa Sethi, curator at a multi designer store for men.

Take On Trousers

A pair of denims may be comfortable but marble, off-beat, funky prints or abstract ones, try something new and refreshing. With a confident attitude, anyone can look fashionable without compromising on comfort, avers Kumar who has engineered digital prints.

Experiment With Prints

Neon prints, typography prints, ornate prints, bold eye-catching patterns — printed shirts are great to camouflage wet patches and mud splashes during the rains. “Nature is very close to my heart. So is the raw appeal of the jungle and the element of surprise. In monsoon, you can gel yourself with nature by wearing a pop or a nice, fresh colour. Whether it is marble, off-beat, funky prints or abstract ones, try something new and refreshing. With a confident attitude, anyone can look fashionable without compromising on comfort,” avers Kumar who has engineered digital prints.

Comfortable Fabrics

Being fashionable is also about comfort. “Keeping in mind comfort and sustainability, the focus is on using pure hand-woven and khadi fabrics for men,” states Nitya. Natural, breathable fabrics work well in monsoons. Comfortability depends on the fabric. Cotton and linen rule. “Any colour in linen has a very different kind of appeal. For any occasion, cotton or silk, which has a graceful fall, is a great proposition. Silk linen fabrics is another beautiful fabric with a good sheen,” explains Kumar.

Statement Wear

People have started organising and attending get-togethers, while many prefer formals for office wear, they like to switch to ethnic wear when it comes to family occasions. “In terms of wedding, monsoons play a big part. It is not hot and humid like summer, so many items are in trend. It is more about minimal dressing. Layering with some ivory and drape kurtas ensures that it does not stick to your body. Cotton blends and silks which have an ideal sheen are great choices.

Footwear & Styling

The right kind of footwear is important in the monsoons. While leather shoes are great, they are not meant to be worn during the monsoons. It is best to stick with floaters and waterproof shoes. In case you are meeting someone, carry a pair of formal shoes and change into it. Avoid wearing socks as they tend to get damp soon and make you run the risk of feeling uncomfortable and smelly! Now that you are stepping out, take all Covid-related precautions even if you are vaccinated with two shots. Enjoy the weather. Don’t let the damp weather dampen your spirits because monsoon can be as fashionable and comfortable as any other season.

Gaurav oozed relaxed classic vibes in this understated flamboyant look. “I thought it was really cool. I felt really royal when I wore it,” he said. Ajay teamed a white khadi merino wool suit with a longer cotton shirt and accessorised with brooches, a silk pocket square and colourful shoes. “The fabric is handwoven and hand twisted. We make longer shirts. You can wear your shirt out and team it up with a jacket,” said Ajay.

When we had WhatsApped the looks across to Gaurav before the shoot, we were met with a ‘shocked’ silence followed by an emoji of a reaction. Post-shoot, we sat Gaurav and Ridhima down on that five-hour silence...

Ridhima: I want to say something. I think he looked hot in every outfit. I have never ever seen so many colours on him.
Gaurav: She keeps asking me to buy more colourful clothes, but I stick to…
Ridhima: Black, white, grey, blue...
Gaurav: I was quite shocked and was wondering if I could pull it off. I really didn’t think I had it in me to pull it off. Once I wore the outfits, I felt like I owned them. I was very comfortable. The poses came naturally. I felt like that. I could express a lot. The expressions are in the clothes.
Ridhima: And, how do you promise to buy colourful clothes?
Gaurav: Yeah, maybe.
Ridhima: You are a very safe dresser. Now you have got out of it a lot. Both of us actually. We don’t really experiment.
Gaurav: Three colours I will wear? Red! Red! Red!
Ridhima: I love red.
Gaurav: Green. And I will also try printed shoes. Aamal ekta unsafe dressing kortey hobey. (Laughs)

Saiyonee Chakraborty
Pictures: Pabitra Das; location: Raajkutir-Swabhumi