Aki Narula is an Indian fashion and costume designer and costume stylist on Bollywood films, known for his roles in Bunty Aur Babli (2006), Dostana (2008), Rockstar (2011) ) and has been praised for styling some A-list stars in movies such as One of the most popular fashion designers in the Bollywood industry, Narula runs her own brand ‘AKI’ which has introduced new chic fashion in the industry. The designer is known for his eclectic style, with clothes that are bright, fun, and cool, with variations in drape and texture.
Wiki/Biography
Aki Narula was born in 1968 (53 years old as of 2021). Born and brought up in Calcutta, he completed his studies in 1987 at La Martiniere, Calcutta. He graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata with a bachelor’s degree in commerce. After graduation, he worked as a management trainee with Lintas Group. After working there for ten months, he went to Arizona State University in the United States to study communications. In 1992, Aki returned to India to concentrate fully on his cost accounting project.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
His father is an engineer and his mother is a housewife.
wife and children
Aki is unmarried and has no children.
Relationships/Affairs
The designer is openly gay and has a close relationship with publicist Shakeel Sutarwala. The couple reportedly met in 2008 at a beach house near an empty swimming pool in Juhu, Mumbai, and have been together ever since.
Aki Narula and Shakeel Sutarwala appear in magazine together
religion
Aji believes in Sikhism and occasionally goes to the gurdwara.
address
The address of Aki Narula is C/O Swaraj Designs, F 322 3rd Floor, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, 110030.
Profession
growth period
Aki Narula entered the fashion industry in 1994 when he won the Kolkata ‘Best Fashion Designer Award’, an award organized by Damania Airways across five metropolitan cities in India. His victory accelerated his fashion career in Calcutta. Three years later in 1997, Narula launched his signature fashion brand “AKI”. The designer showcased collections from his newly launched label at the first fashion show at designer boutique ‘Melange’ at Mumbai Opera House. Melange paved the way for Aki to start selling his designs in 11 stores across India. In 2000, the stylist was invited by the Fashion Development Council of India (FDCI) to participate in the first India Fashion Week. According to Aki, the event received an overwhelming response and boosted his career in the fashion industry. After debuting at Fashion Week, Narula’s entire collection was acquired by British high-end department store Selfridges. In February 2002, Sheetal Design Studio in Mumbai appointed Aki as design director, and a year later, the designer began retailing in international markets such as Zingara, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. Aki also participated in the finale of India Fashion Week 2004, showing his circa 1950s-themed collection.
bollywood phone
In 2005, after showcasing her collection at various fashion shows, Aki got a call from Bollywood at Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding. Although he continued to style actors in other films, the stylist considers his big break in Bollywood to be Yash Raj Films’ “Bunty Aur Babli” in 2005, directed by Shaad Ali. The project made Aki popular in the fashion industry for his new looks in Patiala salwar and Kurtis and led to several films being shot for him and getting noticed for his outfits. When Aki was asked about his first days as a stylist in the film industry, he said in an interview:
I hate it. Moving from fashion to film, I absolutely hated my first day on a movie set. It’s just that the whole process looks different and the experience is not at all pleasant. “
Aki Narula’s look for the movie Bunty Aur Babli
Over the next few years, however, Aki’s association with film projects took him away from mainstream fashion design, and he rarely appeared at fashion weeks. The designer also admitted this in an interview:
The last time I went to fashion week was in 2009, and the reason I’m not going to fashion week now is because I’m filming a movie. I make about two to three movies a year, one of which takes over a year, sometimes more. “
Other companies
In 2009, Narula signed a cooperation agreement with sports lifestyle brand Puma to launch the “Black Label” series of clothing, footwear and accessories, which was launched in Puma stores in February 2010. Aki has also designed costumes for theaters and has received a national award – the award-winning Bengali Film. In addition to clothing, Narula also experimented with techniques in designing household linens, candlesticks and screens. In 2011, Belvedere Vodka collaborated with designer Aki Narula to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. To achieve this, Narula designed the bottle for a special edition of (Belvedere) Red in India, accompanied by a series of limited-edition red chiffon scarves, which retailed in selected design stores in early 2012. Aki also made her television debut as a host on the TLC show “What Not to Wear in India” in September 2012, co-hosted by actor Soha Ali Khan. In the 13-episode show, Narula introduces Indian viewers to body shapes, fabrics, prints, techniques and some fashion tips. He said in an interview,
I couldn’t have made a better TV debut. The most important thing for me is talking to real people and getting some real insights. I get to share what I’ve learned over the past 10 years with real people and deal with personal and emotional issues. “
film chronology
Aki Narula styled actors in these Hindi films:
- Monsoon Wedding(2001)
- Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
- Garam Masala(2005)
- Master of bluff! (2005)
- Don – The Chase Begins Again (2006)
- Jom Balabar Jom (2007)
- Tashan(2008)
- Busnat(2008)
- Bahna al-Haseno (2008)
- Dostana(2008)
- Rab N Bana Di Jodi (2008)
- Kambachtyishk(2009)
- Shortcut(2009)
- Kurban(2009)
- PA(2009)
- Housefull(2010)
- Lanha(2010)
- I am (2010)
- Tees Mal Khan(2010)
- Chill Party(2011)
- Scoundrel(2011)
- Rockstar(2011)
- Agent Vinod(2011)
- Housefull 2 (2012)
- Highway(2014)
Some bollywood movies designed by Aki Narula
dispute
Accused of plagiarism
Another well-known designer, Suneet Varma, accused Aki of plagiarizing Varma’s work from the 2003 autumn/winter collection to dress Rani Mukerji in the 2005 Yashraj film “Bunty Aur Babli”. Suneet also considered suing Aki, Yash Chopra and Rani Mukerji for copyright infringement; but he did not proceed due to lack of substantial evidence. Aki has denied all such accusations.
awards, achievements
- Aki won the Damania Regional Fashion Award in 1994.
- In 2009, he won the Bollywood Styling Award for styling Kareena Kapoor in the film Tashan.
- In 2013, he won the IIFA Best Costume Design Award for the movie “Barfi”.
Favorites
- Fashion City of India: Delhi
Facts/Trivia
- Aki Narula has ‘Swaraj’ tattooed on the front of his neck.
Aki Narula Swaraj tattoo on neck
- The designer’s other interests include painting, reading, and experimenting with interior decoration, props, and sets. Aki also revealed in the interview that in addition to fashion styling, he also likes cooking.
- As Aki pursued graduation, his new passion for costume design led him to design costumes for concerts, college plays and the annual college festival Xavotsav. The designer admitted in an interview that he had no formal training in fashion design, saying:
While studying commerce at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, I became completely obsessed with fashion. Despite having no formal training in fashion design, I started designing clothes for my friends. “
- The clothing of this renowned designer is available in some of the best designer stores in India such as Ensemble in Delhi and Mumbai, Melange in Mumbai, Ffolio and Cinnamon in Bangalore, Ogaan in Delhi and Kolkata, Sosas in Goa, Kali in Kolkata , 1 MG Road, Camelot, You Grasshopper, etc.
- Narula has designed clothes for many Bollywood A-listers, including Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif Katrina Kaif, Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, etc.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education