Rocky S. on designer outfits, home décor and celeb styling

Prominent fashion designer Rocky S. has been exploring various avenues with his creativity, the latest being home décor with the brand Bent Chair. One of the most sought-after designers of authentic Indian designs, Rocky has been participating in various fashion events across the world and has left his imprint all over. His home line is yet another feather to his hat.

Rocky Star is also the fashion director for India’s Manushi Chillar who won Miss World 2017 pageant.

The designer was recently in the national capital for the preview of his latest home décor collection—Rocky Star Home By Bent Chair—in collaboration with Natasha Jain, owner of Bent Chair. Speaking about his collection to Guardian 20, he said, “All a designer wants is finish, quality and understanding. I am a creative person and I can translate my fashion into lot of different things. So, furniture and accessory is something new for me. Having Natasha with me was great as she guided me throughout. We have done everything viz. cups plates, cushions, mats, furniture, sofa, cabinets etc. We have to do a lot more.”

The creative duo is already discussing their Spring/Summer 2018 collection and Rocky believes that the best part about his collection is that “it’s a designer product at a reasonable price”. He believes that the trend of various international designers having their own home line is catching up in India as well and the responses he has been getting about his home décor have been great too.

Rocky S. has styled some of the leading actors in the Indian film industry, including the megastar Rajinikanth for Robot 2.0. Styling the iconic actor was “great”, said the designer when quizzed about his experience of working with Rajinikanth.

“The film has taken two years in making and is very different in every manner. Notably, it’s a first for Akshay [Kumar] in a negative role and the characters are very complex. Arranging everything from various places like Los Angeles, outsourcing fabric from London etc. took a lot of time and effort. But working with a legend like Rajinikanth is a pleasure.”

When asked if he faced any challenges while working on this project, he responded, “I was working with one of the most creative directors, he is very particular about his vision to be translated and to achieve that was one of the biggest challenges for me.”

As a fashion designer who has gone far and wide with his fashion wear, Rocky S. maintains his links with traditional Indian wear. “Even if I showcase at London Fashion Week every year, I don’t let go of my traditional Indian self, from embroidery to textile to print etc. My vision is definitely very universal and modern in the aspect where I create, but I always have a hint of Indian touch maybe in embroidery or print and so on,” he said.

Talking about his experience at various international fashion weeks, he says, “I have recently showcased at London Fashion Week for the fourth time. I have done many fashion weeks, Milan, London, Dubai, etc., and it’s the same experience in India now because today we are at par with international standards, from designers to models to creativity. The only thing that’s different with the international platform is that the media is from all over the world and it’s not just focused on one city because it’s top four international fashion weeks of the world. So, they attract attention globally.”

The ace designer had this to say about the contemporary Indian fashion scenario: “I think it’s growing a lot. As a person like me can launch a whole home décor line, you can already understand. I couldn’t have imagined this five years back. But today people understand that creativity can be translated and that you can buy a Rocky Star candle or cushion and you can enjoy it because sometimes maybe you cannot afford an outfit but you afford a cushion so you can take the feel of the designer. So your fans and followers who believe in your work will always support you in whatever you do.”

Rocky S. is known for his statement couture that screams young and vibrant. “I think everybody wants to feel young at heart, it’s not about a certain age group, it’s about your mind and how you feel like. Everybody today wants to feel young at heart, the lifestyle is very stressful and I want to make people happy and confident with what they wear. My clothes make them feel that and that’s my achievement,” he said.

“I don’t use bright colours, it’s just a notion. I like the glamour, I like the shine but I am very much into blacks, ivories, greys, beige and pastels colours person. As a designer I keep evolving, and from season to season we do change.”

On the growing influence of social media platforms, like Instagram, on defining and redefining fashion and trends, the designer said, “I think it’s too fast, you have to be updated every day. Creative people are actually competing with other people who can just immediately copy everything that are on the runway. Yet it’s good because fast moving things are required in this time. Instagram is very useful as I can reach a person wherever I am sitting.”

 He added, “It has to be your individual style which will keep you going. Being in industry for 23 years, after 350 films, if I am still surviving obviously there’s some strength or something which is very special about me and that is what is required for every youth.”

So, what is his USP? Rocky says, “I like to practice discipline myself. I am much focused and I don’t give up.”

With the ease of access to fans with social media and fandom, various actors and actresses, like Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anuska Sharma, have come up with their own fashion brands. This, Rocky believes is great as “the more the merrier, because they are the trend-setters and they are the fashion icons. If they don’t start the line then who will? With better competition, the trend gets better and people become more aware too. Today people are ready to change their wardrobe season to season, which wasn’t the scene 7-8 years back. This awareness has been created because there’s a lot of fashion sense everywhere.”