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CoverStory/Lifestyle & Trends
He takes as much time to choose the right moisturiser ('aloe vera or wheat germ?') as the right type of woman ('I want to grow old with her'). For him, manicures are a bare necessity, and 'papa'dom is cool. And he considers himself as good as a woman. Meet...
THE METROSEXUAL MAN
By Sangeeta John |
When God borrowed a rib from Adam to create Eve, He forgot to tell Adam the process was irreversible. In the post-everything era, men are sporting their figurative extra rib with elan. The tribe even has a name (it is not in the dictionary yet; read more of Mark Simpson, British satirist who coined the term a decade ago): metrosexuals. Strangely, the term has nothing to do with sexuality, as in bi-, hetero-, homo-. The definition of the metrosexual goes thus: a dandyish narcissist in love with not only himself, but with his urban lifestyle as well; a straight man who is in touch with his feminine side. When Simpson lampooned what he considered a market-driven trend, he might not have imagined a day when 'metrosexuality' would lose its sardonic connotation and, instead, become a powerful indicator of market growth.
Mumbai-based model Kawaljeet Singh Anand, who spends Rs 2,500 a month at the salon, does his facials at home and visits the parlour once a month for a professional job. He has never tried waxing "but I do shave [my chest]".
This growing group of young, sophisticated spenders is a dream come true for makers of apparel, shoes, watches, even jewellery and cosmetics. And India, with its readiness to hop on to the latest bandwagon, is the metrosexual-tracker's sexiest destination. Paris-based cosmetic company Clarins launched its exclusive men's range here in October, barely six months after it hit the European market. The range has everything you thought only a woman used-moisturiser, under-eye serum-and some things only a man would like-good old aftershaves.
Indian companies and stores are also pitching in to the hype. "It's not macho to be macho any more," says Mumbai-based fashion house Provogue director Salil Chaturvedi. "Thanks to this new phenomenon we can keep churning out fashion statements on a regular basis." Vishaka Rautela, a marketing executive at Crossroads, Mumbai, says the store has set up shop at four different locations in the city, "with male-specific sections for accessories that go beyond ties and wallets".
But is the MS man just a chic clotheshorse?
No, says a worldwide survey conducted by global advertising agency Euro RSCG. Even the imputation could make him bawl into buckets as he is sensitive and gender-sensitive. He loves the yin part of himself as much as the yang. Which is why, as the US survey showed, 'to grow old with the woman I love' topped the MS man's wish list, followed by having 'happy, healthy children' and lots of 'friends who support me unconditionally and whose company I enjoy'. Move over women, the MS man lays his claim to being the better half of the species.
Like the resplendent peacock, the MS man is keen on presenting himself in full glory. And he is shedding his inhibitions in his keenness to try 'forbidden' fruit: orange peel facials, plum hair colour or an aromatic back massage.
"Man is no longer the sole provider today," says model-turned-choreographer and self-proclaimed metrosexual Marc Robinson. "He does not have any qualms about changing a nappy or doing a job as well as a woman." The MS man sounds like a good guy to have around but he is still a largely misinterpreted and overhyped quantity in India. Being MS is hip, but many men are still not sure what makes one.
Suneel Agarwal, CEO of HFX, a unisex salon in Mumbai suburbs, considers metrosexuality a cross between yuppiedom and the old school of commitment. "The MS man is someone who doesn't want to lag behind," he says. "Today ignorance is no longer an excuse. I may not be pumping iron but I am conscious that exercising is an option. I am also aware that there no longer is any such thing as watertight duties for the man and the woman."
This evolved male understands far more than that: he no longer underestimates the woman's contribution to the family kitty and is not cowed down by a female boss. Instead of cribbing over women taking over the home and the workplace, he finds his pleasure exploring an alien world: from under a mud pack at the savvy salon or while mastering the slippery art of bathing a baby.
And most women are welcoming this new hero with wide open arms. And they argue that it does not upset the man-woman equation. "In fact, it enhances our relationship when we do things together," says Sharmilla Khanna, a Page 3 fixture who is an event organiser in Mumbai. "Who wouldn't want a well manicured-pedicured man who takes care of the way he looks?"
After all, in all other species-animal or bird-the male is always more showy.
The attitudinal shift in society allows men to do what they want today, says fashion designer Rohit Bal (right), who had his models sport sindoor at the Lakme India Fashion Week early this year.
Model Viveka Babajee agrees that the change has been for the better. "Men are more comfortable with their emotions, and they are not shy about showing their softer side. I prefer men like that," she says. But, as choreographer Prasad Bidappa in Bangalore says, a line has to be drawn somewhere. He does not like men wearing make-up. "Jewellery, too, should be toned down and the perfume, discreet," he says. Pondicherry-based Jacqueline Kapur, 29, who runs leather store Hidesign with husband Dilip, loves the fact that her husband is metrosexual but "if he were too obsessed with himself I would have a problem." Talk about peacocks.
Like that resplendent bird, the MS man is keen on presenting himself in full glory. And he is shedding his inhibitions in his keenness to try 'forbidden' fruit: orange peel facials, plum hair colour or an aromatic back massage. "It is normal to see men walk in with their wives for a haircut or pedicure," says Suneel Agarwal. "There are a few guys waxing nowadays but hair colouring, facials and massages are the most popular."
Man is no longer the sole provider today, says model-turned-choreographer and
self-proclaimed metrosexual Marc Robinson. He does not have any qualms about changing a nappy or doing a job as well as a woman.
Ad film-maker Pradipto Nandi, who lives in Delhi, says his friends call him metrosexual. He goes in for beauty treatments whenever he has the time and the money. "I do use a moisturising lotion at night," he says. "Whatever basic grooming I do, I use the best product. And, yes, I eat right." Mumbai-based model, Kawaljeet Singh Anand, who spends Rs 2,500 a month at the salon, feels the MS phenomenon is not new. "It is only now that it is being given a name," he says. "My father used perfumes." Kawaljeet does his facials at home and visits the parlour once a month. He has never tried waxing "but I do shave [my chest]".
Pradip Awasti, who runs Glitz, one of Delhi's top modelling agencies, has a 'who says sarongs are for women' attitude; he teams them with sandals on trips to Goa. "Metrosexuality, as a trend, is slowly being assimilated," he says. Actor Vikas Bhalla feels it is something that has to come naturally as it is all about looking after oneself. "And you don't have to wear red or pink shoes to be a metrosexual," he says.
Maybe not, but the MS man does not shy away from experimenting with colours or textures. Or with the number of shoes. Designer Rocky S., 32, has 60 pairs of shoes, and uses top brands-TIGI for the hair, Lakme for the face and Harley-Davidson perfumes-before he adorns the body beautiful with Armani and Rajesh Pratap creations. "I love wearing a new shirt every time I go out," says this MS man. "The attitudinal shift in society allows men to do what they want today," says fashion designer Rohit Bal, who is often called 'the ultimate metrosexual'.
Designer Rocky's wardrobe (in pic) includes TIGI for hair, L'Oreal gel, Lakme moisturisers, Harley Davidson perfumes and 60 pairs of shoes. I love wearing a new shirt every time I go out, says the 32-year-old.
Like sporting sindoor, you wonder. Bal had his models sport sindoor and kajal at the Lakme India Fashion Week early this year. Even Bollywood's turning MS, what with Abhishek Bachchan's kohl-lined eyes in Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost, Bachchan Sr doing a role-reversal karva chauth in Baghban or Shah Rukh Khan's sequinned jacket in the upcoming Kal Ho Na Ho. SRK's roles in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which rubbished the 'boys don't cry' attitude, have done a fair bit in gaining acceptance for the MS male.
But the first overt exploration of metrosexuality on the silver screen happened in Mango SoufflŽ, claims director Mahesh Dattani. "It is the natural outcome of the post-feminist era," says Dattani. "Gender equations have become more fluid. Today you don't have to sport trousers or short hair to show you are feminist. You can be married, wear saris and still be a feminist." Dattani feels metrosexuality will also evolve in a similar way.
The metrosexual winds of change are also blowing across the workplace. Not only are men stepping into traditionally female domains, like modelling, and using women-specific products like Victoria's Secret body splashes, but they also feel they have to look good to perform well and get noticed. "Why shouldn't men look good?" asks Bidappa. "In a job interview, a man with dirty fingernails has less chances of being considered." Yes, echoes actor and former VJ, Vivan Bhatena. "Things like gelling your hair and dressing well would boost your confidence," he says. "The metrosexual concept also helps a man understand why a woman needs to spend so much time at the salon."
Psychiatrist Harish Shetty would raise his eyebrows in disbelief to that. "The need to look good and be photogenic is an extension of well-promoted hair gels and toothpaste," he says, dismissing the phase as a passing one. "I think the metrosexual man is a creation of the media." Says actor Bikram Saluja: "I don't believe in this term, the whole thing is a farce. A man can be loving, caring and sensitive without being a metrosexual." Shetty does a Mark Simpson when he says, "I think it is the so-called metrosexual who will have the last laugh. After all, he is pluralistic, violently independent and will never be tied down to a particular trend."
What will happen to Adam's pliable thirteenth rib remains a mystery. What is sure, however, is that as long as it stays on, marketers will laugh all the way to the bank and the metrosexuals are happy being the centre of attraction. The rest of us can laugh with them or at them. Or long for the 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus' days.
With Sunil Thomas & N. Bhanutej
finally got it even though the link is out www.the-week.com/23nov16/cover.htm
Edited by AcquaDiGio - 16 years ago
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