‘Saif’s style evokes a nostalgia of our past, but in a contemporary way’

The sartorial synergy between Saif Ali Khan and Raghavendra Rathore could easily be compared to the cinematic sorcery that came about when Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy collaborated. If Saif’s personal style has always been defined by a timeless elegance, Raghavendra’s design aesthetic has always conjured up a sense of quiet luxury. So it’s not hard to understand how the two complement each other so effortlessly. Rathore who’s often dressed the dapper Nawab in his sharp bandhgalas talks about his recent styling escapade in Tandav (a political drama slated to air on Amazon Prime Video on January 15). Over to the dapper tastemaker..    How was the process of sartorially collaborating with Saif Ali Khan? You’ve dressed him up so many times before too. Do you see a natural sync between Brand Raghavendra and Saif?

The pleasure of working with clients who understand the nuances of classic style and are always inspiring our bespoke design teams, to create relic pieces from the past, in a more contemporary sense, makes collaborations like these effortless and a perfect fit. Even in the past working with Mr Saif Ali Khan for the epic Eklavya was fascinating as that when our understanding of his aesthetics began and for him perhaps of the RR brand essence.

How’s Saif to work with? Did he have any inputs? How do you interpret his style?

Most actors go with the flow of what the script demands, but in my experience working with Mr Saif Ali Khan, goes hand in hand with his love for reviving heritage through a wardrobe, synchronising with the RR brand beautifully. His style evokes a familiar nostalgia of our past but in a contemporary and comfortable way and that is what makes him so unique, to work with.

Brand Raghavendra Rathore has always stood for quiet, restrained luxe. How did you adapt your style vocabulary to complement the web series canvas? (Considering digital formats need a bit of drama and theatrics)

The credit for selecting the looks for the serial goes to the professional team, however, the interplay of the character that Mr Saif Ali Khan plays is a lot like our real-life clients who have varied professional lifestyles such as politics, business or any other significant position in society. This is what makes the wardrobe, chosen for Saif’s character so real and stylish.

manish.mishra1@hindustantimes.com