HT City Showstoppers| Shilpa Shetty Kundra: Style is innate, copying is not for me

In an exclusive HT City Showstoppers Shoot, Shilpa Shetty Kundra shows us how to get festive wear right.

While terms like 'effortless style' and 'diva' are used to describe her, actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra doesn't relate with them. "I don't think I deserve to be called such things. I take being looked at as someone who values her health, very seriously.

OUTFIT: NEHHA NHATA JEWELLERY: VIRRAYAA JEWELLERY Perfect for daytime festivities, Shilpa looks ethereal in a draped yellow lehenga set by Nehha Nhata. It features a fuss-free draped pallu paired with a hand- embroidered blouse and an organza lehenga. She completes the look with a polki and diamond choker by Virrayaa Jewellery.

When people say 'you are so well maintained', it is about fitness and health for me more than how I look. So, I take that as a compliment," the 49-year-old says.

But for someone who has stayed on top of the fashion game through her 30-year long career, there might be an unsaid pressure to maintain the same. Yet, Shilpa admits this "isn't the case" for her.

Shilpa looks mesmerising in a net and organza embroidered lehenga. It boasts of a fully embellished blouse and skirt, complemented with a subtly highlighted dupatta.

"I like to dress up and enjoy the process. I believe style is something that has to be your own, it's innate. If you are copying someone and following a trend, then that's not style for me. It has to resonate with your sensibilities and emotions. At the same time, there are days when I want to wear bright hues, or just white," she shares.

OUTFIT: MIKU KUMAR For a card party, take Inspo from the actor and slip into a draped black lehenga from the shelves of Miku Kumar. It comes with a tlered lehenga accentuated by a striking palla of intricate braids, creating a captivating 3D effect. The blouse is adorned with delicate embroidery in shimmering gold and rich tonal threads

But one thing that's sacrosanct to her is not repeating something that is already worn before. "I don't like my sarees to be repetitive. If I've worn those or seen someone wearing a similar silhouette or design, I avoid that route," she says.

 

OUTFIT: NEHHA NHATA JEWELLERY: VIRRAYAA JEWELLERY Perfect for daytime festivities, Shilpa looks ethereal in a draped yellow lehenga set by Nehha Nhata. It features a fuss-free draped pallu paired with a hand- embroidered blouse and an organza lehenga. She completes the look with a polki and diamond choker by Virrayaa Jewellery.

As fans look up to her for fashion inspo, who did Shilpa look up to? She reveals, "Definitely, [actor] Rekha maa, when it comes to her taste in sarees and the way she'd style herself in movies. I still remember her on-screen clothes. I also believe when you wear anything with a smile, it looks good. I take that from her. Once, she had gifted me this beautiful Kanjeevaram saree, and I preserved it with a lot of care and camphor balls."

 

OUTFIT: VAISHALI S Embodying handmade craftmanship, Shilpa dons a red lehenga set from Vaishali S. Featuring silk sleeves, the corset blouse is complemented with a handcrafted neck accessory. The lehenga is adorned with intricate red coral textures, layered over a Murshidabad silk base, finished with Banarasi silk border

CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER: SHARA ASHRAF PRAYAG

PHOTOGRAPHER: TEJAS NERURKAR

STYLIST: SUKRITI GROVER

ASSISTED BY: NAISHA SINGHVI

MAKEUP: AJAY SHELAR

HAIR: FARAH SHAIKH

JEWELLERY: Q IS BY ASHMEET, A

JEWELLERS, VASUNDHARA: CREATIVE JEWELRY

PRODUCTION: MAXIMUS COLLABS

PRODUCTION COORDINATION: SOUMYA VAJPAYEE, ZAHERA KAYANAT AND SHREYA THAKUR

LOCATION: JW MARRIOTT, MUMBAI JUHU

TALENT COORDINATION: MONIKA RAWAL

MANAGEMENT AGENCY: TRIBE ENTERTAINMENT

PR AGENCY: COMMUNIQUE- PR