This was certainly one of the most fun interviews ever taken as there is no bigger compensation for a journalist when after every 10 words spent, comes a smile in your face. It is our glam doll Achla Sachdev, supermodel-turned-choreographer who has spent over a decade in the kitchen of the fashion world. Sachdev opens her casket in a candid tête-à-tête with Sourendra Kumar Das, and gives the insider’s point of view of the fashion world.

Did you ever think you will step your feet in the fashion world?
There were no serious thoughts about it, when I was growing up in Bandra as any common girl. I got into the fashion world by chance and I enjoy every part of my work.

Narrate your journey, from simple starry eyes lass to a ramp scorcher?
I have always believed in re-inventing myself and doing one thing at a time that preserves the quality of the work. When I started choreographing for the celluloid, eyebrows were raised and people found it dramatic! I believed in my work, and thus I am here today. (smiles)

What’s the canon in your life?
We cannot please everyone in life, so I strongly believe in ‘Live and Let Live’. We are born alone, and we die alone so in between we should live life together.

What’s your opinion about the present fashion scenario in India?
I find Indian fashion industry becoming production friendly but the designers have to re invent themselves and stop COPYING the WEST! It is good to be global, but as our style sense is different from the West, it would be better to keep our originality too. Are we not fatigued of seeing the same chaniya choli for last 10 years, and the recurring Bollywood trends?

Being in the bistro of fashion world, how do you see fashion from an insider’s eyeball?
Bollywood has given more value to fashion as it has evolved from 80s and 90s and people are now superbly fashionable with branded clothes. But they will only be stylish when they wear the dress, and not let the dress wear them!

What’s the definition of style according to you?
Style is that suits an individual, it is essential to wear that light make-up and holding it right to create your own style statement and NOT COPY! Nowadays, some of the socialites look so sad; I wish they would just add smile in their face and that would make them look more beautiful. (smiles)

What are the changes that the Fashion industry has gone through the years?
There is certainly a change, but I wish the designers would be more innovative. Retro is quite ‘in’, but my question is ‘Why look back?’ God has given us eyes to look in front and if we look back, we are saving ourselves from the responsibility of inventing new things. I strongly feel the fashion industry needs to concentrate on creating new designs.

In this competitive world of fashion, how to derive happiness?
There are two thieves, one is Past and other is Future who robes Happiness. I live in the moment and enjoy living in my Present.

Message for your fans –
Live Life in the present, you have one life to live…

I know it’s hard to get up early in the morning and dress up flawlessly – closet full of crumpled beer stained shirts induces panic attack. You end up bleating out – ‘why fashion hates beer?’ But somehow you manage your dapper best (this is what you know!) and leave for another daily battle where you strut as an eyesore. See, it’s not culinary science to dress pleasantly (to others), fashion is complaisant enough to celebrate the imperfections and flaws but you need not to annoy either.

Fashion is sensible enough to not offer lace briefs, tulle veils, stilettoes and LBD to men. So with just little pricking of your manly stereotypes, here we emphasize on common fashion faux pas men make.

Ill Fitted Garments
Your obsession with length, breadth and height can be understood but it doesn’t mean you go for XXLs. Fit is important enough to decide an overall appearance. From clown to wannabe, it decides your façade. Never go for too loose or too tight fit. Get your suits tailored, trousers tapered to straight, shirts fitted and skirts well embraced (skirts? Check it out: https://fashionfad.in/fashion/infocus/content/viewEntry.aspx?slno=142).

Flashes (bling/logos)
Whether its Swarovski or diamonds, spare bling for the aunties flocking to the marriages. Men in bling look stupidly narcissist. Besides, flashy logos covering the good part of you make one look like a walking advertisement. Keep things subtle. Don’t forget, clothes make a man.

Color Blindness
Blue, black and grey come with monotony. You are wearing them for centuries, it’s time to change for good. Orange, yellow and pink can get you women as they can seriously empathize. Fill colors in your dark lives but beware you can end up looking like a rainbow. Clock up the balance at: https://fashionfad.in/trends/trend-reports/content/viewReport.aspx?slno=15 .

Bulging Pockets Syndrome
Its very much an endemic around the world. Men usually stuff their pockets with all the crap they have binned over the years – defunct I pods, phones, bongs, pints blah blah, using pockets more like a trunk. So better get a bag for you. It looks classy. From messenger to duffle to knapsacks, bags are fashion staple. Check out the murses (male bags) at: https://fashionfad.in/fashion/catalogue/accessories/content/accessories.aspx?slno=73 

Accessory mismatch
When someone said that the only difference between human beings and animals is that the latter can’t accessorize, she was not only human-isnt but also sexist as she blew raspberry over the inability of men to accessorize appropriately. Mismatched shoes, socks and belts with suits, mismatched ties, gold chains and bracelets, sandals with socks and white socks are few general goof ups men make.

Here are some of our experts’ pearls of wisdom:

Mehar Bhasin, ex model who now runs Mehar Bhasin Academy of Grooming, puts her five fashion blunders men make explicitly: 1. Belts never match shoes. 2. Pant pockets are too stuffed with mobile, wallet etc etc. 3. Pants too tight with the belt over the belly. 4. Over gelled hair. 5. Too much flashing of brands on clothes and shoes.

Designer Nupur Kanoi says, “Since men have only a couple of silhouettes they wear, so ill fitted trousers are one such commonly found faux pas. Embroidered and transparent shirts are an absolute no. I think embroidery should be left to the kurtas and sherwanis strictly.” Ex stylist with the Verve and now currently running her own designer label, Nupur detests boat neck t shirts – whether worked out or not, they are so Bollywood. She further adds, “Anything reflective from fiber to glass is a fashion crime, unless you are on Mars. We would have to agree with John Gray, the fairer sex is definitely from Venus.”