Kjo's suitcase - article

Designers beware. Karan Johar is set to float his own fashion label

Sandipan Dalal

As a plump tyke, Karan Johar would often talk about his designer dreams. The filmmaker, however, eventually joined his father late Yash Johar's production house and took up filmmaking. Since then, he has been churning out box-office hits, but it's a lesser-known fact that he gives equal attention to the screenplay and the costumes. He has been designing clothes for good friend Shah Rukh Khan for the last few years, and now he is ready to float his independent fashion label.

A men's and women's couture collection may be underway, our sources inform us. Ask him about it and Karan says, "I'm interested in launching a fashion label. But I'm waiting for the right opportunity." Refusing to divulge too many details, the best- dressed-filmmaker in the circuit says, "I shop for clothes the way people go mad eating out. Fashion is something that comes to naturally me. I used to choreograph fashion shows in college as well. Both men and women's fashion interests me."

In the past, Karan has collaborated with Naresh (of Masculine) while designing Shah Rukh's costumes. KJo's last assignment was Om Shanti Om (directed by Farah Khan) where Shah Rukh plays a junior artist from the '70s. The actor has two distinct looks: a retro look and a modern day look. He sports lots of retro shirts with optic prints and chunky belts.

Karan says, "My assistant designer Shiraz sourced the fabric used, from across the city, for the film. I was more of a star designer who made the final selection and decided on the cuts. Honestly, it's Farah's vision and we have just executed it."

Farah Khan says, "Karan has done Shah Rukh's clothes for my first film, Main Hoon Na, too. He has always been the first choice because he is a close friend and works for free. He has done a fabulous job. I remember I had dumped a huge catalogue featuring clothes from the '70s on him."


• Karan has always been my first choice because he is a close friend and works for free. He has done a fabulous job
– Farah Khan