Designer in the limelight

Vineti Bolaki is the go-to designer for socialites and actresses these days. But behind her success has been years of hard work. She was first noticed when Ileana D’Cruz was spotted wearing her creation during the promotions of Happy Ending last year. “Ileana was the first celebrity to wear my clothes so she’ll always be special,” Vineti says, adding, “It’s been a slow and steady journey. I started designing to stock up my wardrobe as then there was no Mango or other high-street labels in Hyderabad. Later, my friends wanted me to design for them. I realised that I had a business on hand.”

Despite having no formal education in fashion, Vineti says that she has always been attracted to aesthetics. “Designing clothes is like architecture — you need to keep in mind the math and angles. I understood the mechanism of clothing and my masters brought in their technique and we worked well together,” she says.
Recently, Tamannah was spotted wearing her creation at an event and Vineti says, “Tamannah’s gorgeous and looks like a doll.”

Does it give her a high when celebrities like Bipasha Basu, Chitrangada Singh, Soha Ali Khan and Huma Qureshi are spotted wearing her clothes? “It’s always great to see celebrities in your clothes. But when people call or text me to say that they are looking good in my outfit — that’s more gratifying. These are the consumers who will come back to me again,” she says.

“Nowadays, a look is more about how the stylists plan to create one with a particular outfit. Often it works and sometimes it may not. I don’t interact with the celebrities; I’m more behind-the-scenes,” Vineti adds.

Vineti loves designing bridal gowns and everything Hyderabadi. “Hyderabadis have a wonderful aesthetic sense. They understand quality and you’ll find a bit of Nizami inspiration in my embellished gowns or a crop top and maxi skirt outfit. I love working with soft and fluid fabrics and pastels are my favourite,” Vineti says.