“You see people travelling in local trains…I liked the way they wore bright and shimmering clothes…” Earlier this week, Govinda said that the secret behind his trademark loud & flashy style wasn’t created within the walls of a fashion designer’s chamber. It was inspired by Mumbai’ locals.
Credit where it’s due: At a time when Bollywood stars were generally expected to present a conventionally handsome image, the actor most remembered for his flashy fashion style donned his oversized, glittering attire. Instead, he took a road less travelled, making bright colours, prints and plenty of shimmer his thing.
Bold? Yes. But With Purpose
Govinda didn’t wear loud clothes just for the sake of it. Bollywood had a certain expectation from male actors – look handsome and put-together. And he flipped it.
He wore colours like pink and yellow, showed off prints, layered his shirts and didn’t shy away from extremely fitted clothes or sparkly things.
More importantly, he wore them confidently.
His costumes fit his film’s songs and scenes. That fluorescent shirt wasn’t just something he was wearing- he was selling it to you with that dance, that smile. He made filmy fashion fun.
Bollywood may have stopped emulating Hollywood, but we still do take inspiration from US trends. What’s interesting about Govinda speaking about his fashionable past is that he looked at Indian culture to create his style. Several years later, Ranveer Singh would do the same thing.
Ranveer Singh Is the Prince of Over-The-Top Fashion
Known for bright colours, big shirts, printed suits and tons of jewelry, Ranveer is one of Bollywood’s best-known Fashionistas. He has been unafraid to experiment and make a statement with his clothing (and hairstyles! ).
Diljit also loves to keep things interesting with his wardrobe
Don’t confuse experimental for daring, though. Diljit Dosanjh’s style is maximalist but always stays true to who he is. Known for wearing oversized shirts, coloured blazers, funky sunglasses and ethnicwear-inspired outfits, Diljit has made his colourful personality his own brand.
He’s also been able to take traditional Indian clothes and make them dramatic on the world stage. The pleats on his sherwanis could very easily take over your screen when he wears them on international events!
Why Flashy Fashion Keeps Coming Back
Bollywood might not be wearing sandstorm yellow and pink foil jackets anymore, but Indian celebrities still love a dramatic look. We’re just expressing it differently through fashion.
A shiny jacket, an oversized bag, colourful sunglasses, vibrant co-ords or a bold necklace might make up our modern day–and much subtler–version of maximalism.
Now more than ever, Indians look to celebrities as style icons. We see them leave airports, go to promotions and post pictures on Instagram. We want to dress like them too!
Which is why Govinda’s reveal is kind of full-circle. He found inspiration from regular people wearing bold clothing on their commute. Just goes to show you, that while our clothes should turn heads, they should also come from the heart.
