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Dear films on fashion: Where’s the sweat?
The trending show The Bold Type provokes resentment and recoil amongst stylists and fashion designers across the country
Recently, I binge-watched Netflix’s The Bold Type, about three girls in the fashion and glamour industry. Everybody loves glamour and at certain instances I could relate to Sutton Brady, the stylist played by Meghann Alexandra Fahy – aside from her OTT work attire and the fashion closet at the magazine she works with, which Sutton and her friends are free to raid for designer pieces for work and personal outings post that.
That is so not reality
Certain scenes in the show resonate with me. The way Sutton handles blunders, bad decisions and temperamental clients reminds me of how crazy and overwhelming the behind the scenes work can get. But there’s a huge difference between reel and real life and The Bold Type, although meant to show what goes on at any fashion magazine, is not real.
The silliest thing I have seen in any fictional work based on stylists is that they all over-glamourise the images of people in the industry. If you were to believe what you saw on screen, you would think being a stylist would be effortless. But that is far from true.
Stylists in movies and shows wear expensive designer brands, live and work in luxury, rub shoulders with celebs, attend red carpet events and parties. But ‘all that glitters is not gold’ stands true. Many Indian stylists agree.
Vox populi!
Shiraz Siddique (stylist to Varun Dhawan): The on-screen life of fashion stylists does not reflect the reality. We don’t just sit in fancy offices — the practical and functional aspects are never accurate.
Isha Bhansali (stylist to Ayushmann Khurrana): It looks glamorous as it’s our job to make artists look like a million bucks. But it’s crazy hard work, chasing people and dealing with last minute changes.
Akshay Tyagi (stylist to Hrithik Roshan): I hate how shows and films don’t show the hustle.
Rocky S (designer and film stylist): The industry is glitzy, but works just like a business.
Nachiket Barve (designer & film stylist): The way shows like this feature stylists running around in vertiginous heels and impeccable blow drys is frivolous. Most stylists are in sneakers.
Nitasha Gaurav (stylist to Ranveer Singh): What most movies get wrong is the prep that goes into styling shoots and celebs.
Neeta Lulla (designer and film stylist): Fiction includes perception and experience. An over-the-top aspect may be added to create drama.
Eshaa is a Bollywood celebrity stylist, fashion director, wardrobe and wedding stylist, who has styled Ishaan Khatter and Karisma Kapoor amongst others
From HT Brunch, May 2, 2021
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