Given the way fashion has been trending in the sporting world lately, it is hard to tell the difference between a sports star and a Bollywood celebrity. Donning designer outfits, walking the ramp with confidence and working on their style quotient regularly — the country’s sports personalities are certainly giving B-town celebs and models a run for their money!
P.V. Sindhu
From Virat Kohli to P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal and even the Phogat sisters, many sportspersons are often spotted at fashion shows, in TV commercials and at star-studded parties these days. So, what is it that makes them a hot favourite? “The age of the supermodel is long gone, post which actors and actresses took over the ramp. But now, the situation is that you only have a handful of A-listers but many designers. Also, some actors are not allowed to walk for certain designers due to prior contracts. So, automatically the next choice is sports stars because they embody the idea of health and fitness, which is what the fashion world is all about now,” explains fashion choreographer Lubna Adams, who has groomed many models including Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai and Diana Hayden.
Virat Kohli
She further adds that the evolution of fashion in sports can be credited to Indian sportspersons performing extremely well internationally — which is how the young crowd also relates to them.
Resonating Lubna’s thoughts, renowned designer Neeta Lulla says, “The young generation is inspired by these stars as they want to be like them. People want to know more about them and style and fashion are things that speak a lot about a person. Also, they have a massive fan following and roping them in is an advantage for designers or production houses.” Interestingly, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal will be the showstopper in Neeta Lulla’s upcoming fashion show. “My collection, Edwardian Elegante, is about a woman who lives life on her own terms and is very confident. She’s a dreamer and an achiever. Saina is right for this,” she explains.
Sania Mirza
Cricketers have been spotted walking on runways in the past. But now, it looks like successful players from other sports are ruling the roost. “It’s not often that you find someone who has achieved a lot, brought home laurels and is good looking. When people find someone like that, they don’t want to lose the opportunity of being associated with them,” explains ad guru Prahlad Kakkar.
At the same time, signing a sportsperson for a fashion show or TV commercial means spending less. “Bollywood stars charge a bomb to walk as show stoppers. Designers end up paying somewhere between Rs 25 to Rs 50 lakh for just an evening. Sports stars don’t demand such money. Another thing to consider here is that sports personalities are also good looking. Take for instance Virat Kohli, Vijender Singh, Ashwini Ponnappa and the likes, they are so well groomed. Therefore, it becomes an iconic representation of what the Indian youth wants to be like,” explains fashion guru Prasad Bidappa.
And finally, after reaching the apex in their respective sports, the players, too, seem to enjoy all the attention and paparazzi coming their way. Recently, many people saw a hidden glamorous side of the Indian women cricket team’s captain, Mithali Raj, after she was featured on the cover of a famous fashion magazine. Ace shuttler Jwala Gutta, who has walked the ramp many times, and is considered to be one of the most stylish sports personalities, also feels that the idea of fashion in India is changing for good. “This culture of sportspersons walking the ramp has always been there in the West. Anna Kournikova and Serena Williams are examples of sports stars who play well and at the same time are style icons. But, the same thing doesn’t happen in India as much — maybe because we think that sports stars should stick only to their sports. But I am glad that things are changing now,” opines Jwala.
