Lovin' the 'Priyanka' cut!
If you see a lot of cropped haircuts on women this summer, put it down to Priyanka Gandhi. Short hair becomes a rage as Priyanka rises as a youth style icon, writes Namya Sinha.
If you see a lot of cropped haircuts on women this summer, put it down to Priyanka Gandhi. It’s the young Gandhi, not the heat, that’s making women run to salons for a short, short style.
Hair experts like celebrity stylist Samantha Kochchar and people at the Shahnaz Husain salon predict that the Priyanka cut is about to become a rage.
Priyanka has always worn her hair short, but over the past 12 months or so, her personal style has been in the spotlight like never before. The recent elections saw her becoming more visible than ever on the campaign trail, culminating in a very stylish outfit on the Delhi polling day; John Abraham called her the sexiest woman in India; and the white shirt-black trousers combo she wore to Parliament last July is still being talked about admiringly.
Congress member Alka Lamba, who had a haircut similar to Priyanka’s, says, “I’ve always loved this hairstyle and mine was influenced by Indira Gandhi.”
Ojasvi Sharma, a 23-year-old freelance writer who plans to get this hairstyle, says, “Priyanka’s crop has paved the way for a new Indian femininity that embodies simplicity and a no-nonsense demeanour.” Media professional Monika Adlakha, 27, who has put her long hair under the stylist’s scissors, finds that the new short cut “has really been appreciated by people”.
Ruhi Khan, a 26-year-old HR exec, had let her hair grow longer, but now she wants to get the Priyanka cut, without making the crop that tight. DJ Kary, 26, now has dreadlocks, “but would like to get the Priyanka cut, as it’s chic yet low-maintenance”.
“Priyanka has a wash-and-wear haircut, and she is becoming a big style role model, so short hair is definitely in,” says Kochhar. Pioneering stylist Jawed Habib also feels, “With Priyanka emerging as such a big style icon, this cut will have many devotees.”
Requests are already pouring into the Shahnaz Husain salon. A representative says, “The Priyanka cut is especially in demand among women aged 23 to 28.”
