Fashion royalty Sonam Kapoor on how becoming a mother changed her style

Sonam Kapoor, ever since she made her acting debut with ‘Saawariya’ (2007), has proven to be a fashion force. Her unconventional and fearless approach to fashion makes her one of the most stylish actresses in the Indian film industry (one with a distinctive style).

Her innate ability to effortlessly embrace neo-traditional ensembles makes her sartorial style stand out. No wonder, the actress has put forth more than many noteworthy fashion moments that blend Indian sensibilities with contemporary appeal.

Be it her recent pink blazer look styled with traditional jewels for the Dior Mumbai show, or her game-changing representation of Indian fashion at international red carpets (yes, Cannes) – it all is a strong testament to her evolving style.

Her sartorial romance with experimental sarees has also been remarkable in earning her the title of a fashionista. It started several years ago with her rocking denim sarees and pant sarees, and is going strong as ever. Just a few weeks ago, she put it on display as she walked the ramp for designer Rimzim Dadu at the Blenders Pride Fashion NXT event in Gurugram.

Sonam, for Rimzim, is a “fashion royalty” who can do no wrong.

Crafted in the designer’s signature metallic molten cord work, new mom Sonam effortlessly flaunted the structured drape – reminiscent of the headlines-making blue-and-black saree from Rimzim she had worn during the Cannes Film Festival 2016.

Back then, she was neither a mom nor married.

Stylish mom on the block

Did becoming a mother change her relationship with fashion, India Today asked Sonam ahead of the show.

Here is what the ‘Neerja’ actress said: “I think after I delivered Vayu (her 1-year-old son), I was at a size that I had never been in my life and I understood that I had to embrace my new curves and my new body. I wanted to take it slow to lose weight and take care of myself and put myself and my child first. So, instead of pushing myself to lose all my weight, I did it slowly. And, in that process, I actually learned to love my body more and judge myself a little less harshly.”

Her fashion goal eventually became to enhance her body.

“So, in that way, I don't know if my style has evolved, because I don't want to cover anything or hide anything but to enhance. I've learned it is better to enhance what you have, which is the best as opposed to covering what you think you don't have," the actress added.

Sonam, who has been at the forefront of the fashion industry for over a decade now, has witnessed a strong shift towards prioritising sustainability and Indian crafts.

“I feel like people now really want to make a difference when it comes to sustainability and to encourage ‘Made in India’ and to preserve our crafts and textiles, and that is very encouraging,” she said.

The actress, however, added that celebrities need to shift their attitude towards young, budding designers.

“We need to understand that we are the ones who set trends, and we need to encourage young designers who are trying to do something different through our clothes, through what we wear and what we see,” Sonam asserted.

“What is amazing about working with young talent is that they want to push themselves, and they want to create something new. And that's why when I collaborated with Rimzim during Cannes (2016), I was excited about wearing her saree. Especially, encouraging young South Asians has always been something that I've been very keen to do,” she shared.

Despite having access to sourced clothes, the actress often buys clothes.

"I believe in retail therapy. I think it's good for mental health," she said.

Sustainability matters

Sustainability is a strong buzzword in the fashion landscape across the world – with designers trying to reduce the carbon footprint of production with innovative techniques, and consumers being more conscious about their purchases.

Sonam is a strong advocate of sustainable fashion. In her previous interviews, the actress has often spoken about the importance of preserving clothes and repeating them. “I haven’t bought anything that I haven’t worn multiple times,” she said in November 2023.

She believes that Indian culture, anyway, gears us towards being sustainable.

“I think as Indians, we are kind of geared towards sustainability through our culture because, you know, we always got things made by local tailors, and we would reuse what our mothers and grandmothers give us,” she said.

“We believe in buying clothes that we can repeat. We are also very price conscious. We don’t like to spend in excess. So, we are already geared towards sustainability, especially when it comes to Indian clothes and occasionwear. I think it's a very easy thing for us to adopt in India. We should not go the Western way when it comes to waste; we should remain in our Indian sensibilities when it comes to sustainability and practicing slow fashion,” Sonam told India Today.

Quite like Sonam’s affinity for slow fashion, designer Rimzim Dadu’s approach to sustainable fashion involves producing less but meaningful pieces.

“I believe we are at a point where we cannot ignore sustainability, it is just so important. I am still trying to understand sustainable fashion, because I think that the most sustainable thing a fashion brand can do is to not exist or to not produce. So, if you are producing, it will very rarely be sustainable. So, when I think about sustainability, the most important thing is to produce less, to produce with meaning, to produce with love and to produce things that will last in terms of design and have longevity for generations,” Rimzim told us.

Her idea of sustainability also includes using materials that go beyond textiles and creating materials that could be the future of fashion.

“Other than that, the day-to-day functioning of your studio and your factories should be sustainable, like having water harvesting, using better colours, better dyes, and being mindful about not using plastic packaging. These are the things that we are actively working towards as a fashion brand,” the designer shared.

Trend talk

Though the fashion darlings are in unison over their thoughts about sustainability, their trend talk is poles apart.

Sonam wants to bring back high-waisted bell-bottoms, and sarees, salwar-kameez from the 60s. “Rachel's hair from FRIENDS, I would love to bring that back,” she added.

Rimzim Dadu believes futuristic fashion, ‘wanderluxe’ – fashion revolving around holidaying and dressing up for small occasions, and glamming up are going to be the fashion trends for 2024.

“Everyone should feel that the world is their red carpet, and with constant access to cameras and the digital landscape of fashion, I think glamming-up is going to be big this year,” the designer shared.

The emergence (and resurgence) of fashion trends like ‘minimal fabulousness’ (an extravagant successor of 2023’s Quiet Luxury), mob wife aesthetic and bold makeup goes well with Rimzim Dadu’s fashion forecast sheet.