Tina Tahiliani’s ramp walk has a unique way of endorsing sports and menswear
Fashion designer Tina Tahiliani chose the home-grown sport of kabaddi, gave it a bit of her glamour and dusted it up with a glorious ramp walk in Mumbai.
“In India, though we celebrate sports be it cricket, badminton and tennis, we never turned the spotlight on kabaddi. So when a cosmetic brand and a corporate came up with the idea, we just grabbed the opportunity. We recently launched our menswear store and are working with lots of young designers. So I think, this is the right occasion to celebrate,” she said, watching her models strut their stuff with confidence.
Five kabaddi players from the national team — Surender Nada, Mohit Chillar, Shabeer Bapu Sharfudheen, Vishal Mane and Rishank Devadiga — walked the ramp for famous designers like Gaurav Khanijo, Pranav Mishra of Huemn, Ujjwal Dubey of Antar Agni, Tarun Tahiliani and Sahil Aneja.
As these champions rocked the ramp in designer ensembles, Tina said, “I have been asked why am I doing it with these players instead of real celebrities. Well, all these players are making our country proud by winning the championship. For me, anyone who is so accomplished is a celebrity.”
This is the first time that Mane walked the ramp. Admitting to a mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness, he said, “It is very different from our game. We are always well prepared and practised for our game. However, here, it is very spontaneous on stage. I am honoured to wear clothes designed by such a great designers. It feels good.”
While Pranav chose weather-friendly material and comfort for his leisure line, Dubey aimed to enhance each player’s personality through his design. “This kind of collaboration merges both the industry — sports and fashion. An interaction between two fraternities starts from here, as in people who are alienated from the sports will get to know about it and sports personalities will also get a great exposure to fashion. However, the result will come in an organic way with time.”
Adding to the thought, Dubey said, “Apart from business, it is also about the fraternisation. Through this collaboration, we tried to appreciate the effort of each other’s fraternity. So it is great to be a part of a cause.”
Tina said, “We are supporting many young designers and I think that is very important for them to get such support, exposure and mentorship. Therefore, I think we are playing an important role in the fashion industry by introducing these young designers. On the other hand, because it is a multi-designer store and we work with veterans, it gives more credibility to the youngsters who are sharing the same platform with them.”
While Western clothes are mainly preferred for sportswear, according to Tina, it is the attitude that matters the most. “You can wear a malmal handloom sari and treat it in a sporty way because it is not the cloth that you wear makes you sporty but your attitude. When you are wearing sari, be cool with it, do not be conscious, and let it be. It is your mind and body confidence that makes you cool!”