Sonam Kapoor & Anamika Khanna Open Up About Fashion And Their Bridal Sensibilities

The creative wunderkinds met on the set of the launch cover shoot of Brides Today, and one could sense their palpable energy. One could also sense their mutual admiration for each other and shared camaraderie. For Anamika Khanna and Sonam Kapoor are no strangers. Theirs has been one enduring muse-and-patron story, registering the silky-smooth passages as well as the raw edges and unfinished surfaces. “I don’t think any other designer’s clothes suit me as much as Anamika’s, because we are like-minded and have a similar way of looking at aesthetics,” as Sonam puts it. But we were not to be content with that, so we nudged them on to pour their hearts out on fashion, the dynamics underlining the artist-and-inspiration relationship, bridal sensibilities, cinema, and much more. Here are the excerpts.

SONAM & ANAMIKA SPEAK

Sonam, you are Anamika’s muse. How do you feel working with her? And, you’ve been wearing her clothes for the last 20 years or so.

S: Twenty years? Yes, almost 15 years. She has enhanced my taste in fabrics and design, and I think she is the best designer we have in our country. Every time she jokes or complains about it, I feel like killing her, because I don’t know what I’ll be wearing then. (To Anamika) We have to recycle your clothes all the time (laughs).

Anamika, when Sonam is wearing your clothes—a sari or a lehenga, it fits her perfectly. How do you look at Sonam as your muse?

A: I think, Sonam is an inspiration. More than anything else, she drives you to create things, and somehow, it just works for us. When Sonam gives me an idea, I am able to work on that, and that’s how it comes out so beautifully. Besides that, she knows what works and what doesn’t work, which makes it so much simpler. It’s not like, “Oh my god! What do I do now?” When she says she doesn’t want to do something, I understand why she is not doing it.

Is there something which you have made especially for Sonam in the last 15 years?

A: Thousands of times.

Did it become a theme, which then became a part of your line?

A lot of times actually. When she went to the Cannes Film Festival or the last Filmfare Awards (2017). There are so many looks that Sonam did and people started hunting us immediately.

What is one favourite look of yours that you’ve made for her till date?

I would say, the sari and the long jacket combination that she paired with a nose ring in her 2013 Cannes appearance. That was a statement; it was so bold. It was very courageous of her to wear it out there. It made me proud.

Sonam, will you be an Anamika bride?

S: Obviously. Everybody dreams of being an Anamika bride. I just have an added advantage! (laughs).

A: I am so excited and proud to do this. It’s not your (Sonam’s) advantage. I am so excited to have someone like Sonam wear my clothes. She gives them life. Nobody else does it the way Sonam does it, and to dress her up as a bride? Oh my god! 

Anamika, tell us something about your new collection.

The collection that we showcased for the Lakmé Fashion Week SS’18 finale is perhaps one of the most experimental looks that we have ever done. We just felt that possibly, as a brand, we’re settling down into a pattern. I just tried to get myself out of it to see how far I can take myself. It’s very edgy, modern, and experimental. It’s, almost, inspired by streetwear. We have experimented with every shape and colour possible. But you know the heart stays where it is—the heart is Indian, and that doesn’t go away. 

What is the one thing that a bride should not do?

A: I think, a bride should not overdo it. Excess is something that has been bothering me lately. Brides are getting extremely excessive. Sometimes you can’t even see their faces. All you see is the stuff around them. It would help if they toned it down a little bit.

S: Don’t do the mathapatti, the nose ring, the necklace, and the hathphool all together. Every piece should not be a statement piece. There should be one thing that’s beautiful and stunning, and everything else has to accentuate it.

Let’s talk about the groom. What is the one thing that a groom should not do?

A: Off late, men have started dressing like women. It’s very confusing, because they are mixing colours and embroideries. S: I personally like a little bit of matchy-matchy things, but there just has to be an element of that. It can’t be the same fabric, with the same embroidery on the outfit that the bride is also wearing. I just find it a bit too much. I like it when there is a synergy to it. It could be a little pocket square, or a little passa.

In our Feb issue, we have talked about home-away-from-home weddings. Tell us about your go-to destination.

A: I’ll try and see if I can find a beautiful temple, or a gurudwara. It has to be one of those things, a place which is close to one’s heart.

S: It has to be something personal, which both the bride and the groom would relate to.

Tell us about your movie Padman.

S: Padman is an important film, one that has been made with the right intentions, to showcase how both men and women look at periods. It’s not something that you need to hide behind closed doors, or sweep under the carpet. It normalises periods. Only 12 per cent of women in India actually have access to sanitary napkins. It’s also about a man in love, who did everything he could to make his wife comfortable.