Mumbai: Designers and stylists have long had a give-and-take relationship, where designers get noticed because of the celebs wearing their designs while stylists get their jobs done of arranging for the best for a star. And it’s all hunky dory, until a garment is returned in terrible conditions often stained, torn and not in the pristine condition it was given in. The latest victim was designer Nachiket Barve who received his outfit in a mangled, torn polythene bag from a stylist. An upset Nachiket put up his experience in an Instagram post, which was followed by many other designers, sharing how it is: “the story of their lives”.
“There are 99 per cent good occurrences, but one case like this, can spoil relationships. The stylist had borrowed the outfit for a red carpet event. In fact, we had been chasing her to return the outfit since a month, as there are other shoots lined up,” Nachiket says, adding, “But the stylist later called to say that she was unwell and she had just couriered the garment.” That led to the list of problems designers have. “When you are talking about the expensive fabric that we use or designer outfits, even the courier has to be taken care of. When stylists send the outfits dry-cleaned and carefully wrapped, that makes us feel so much better,” he says.
Other designers too have had such experiences that is probably why now an undertaking needs to be signed by the client, before they take the garment. “We make them sign an undertaking, that if the garment is damaged in any way they have to pay for it. We have to build a good rapport with the stylists, better communication makes sure that our creation is handled in a better way,” says designer Rajat Tangri. While these instances keep happening, designers also agree that they let go, as “how else will business continue?” To make sure that they aren’t wrong, stylists too are marking their every move. Speaking on behalf of stylists, stylist and designer Kunal Rawal, says, “Stylists these days are more careful.
For example, when there’s a shoot, we make sure there’s no make-up stain on the garment. Definitely, there are stylists who manhandle the garment and I, as a designer, have faced that but there are also times, when a few take extra care. Everything is in the mail these days. From when the garment is borrowed, to the condition, that if it’s damaged, how much client has to pay... is all in writing.” Business will go on as usual, but the designers have a word of caution, “Stylists need to be careful, for if they spoil the garment, the chances of the designer working with them again are very low.”
