Known as the faces and brains behind some of the most popular food brands of the City of Joy, five restaurateurs had a rendezvous with fashion for a change, for a The Telegraph exclusive. We approached Vicktar Ghosh of Perfect Place in Town (PPT), Reevu Wangdi of Momo I Am, Rishabh Killa of PPT, Abhinav Jaiswal of The Brewhive, and Rohit Ojha of Kaidi Kitchen, Scrapyard, Reality, cafe Mirosh and Ballu Da Dhaba, for a special Puja shoot. They agreed readily, nailed it, and how! With two fashion brands on board, Sharbari since 1991 by Kanaklata Datta and Amalin Datta and Warssi Kolkata by Anupam Chatterjee, t2 created an exclusive menswear lookbook for the festive season ahead, with ITC Royal Bengal serving as the perfect backdrop for the fun shoot. While Anupam decked them up in easy-breezy, solid-colour modern silhouettes, perfect for making festive daytime style statements; Kanaklata and Amalin gave them some gorgeous eveningwear rooted in tradition, with a smart and contemporary appeal.
ANUPAM CHATTERJEE, WARSSI KOLKATA
All of them have their own style statements. My idea was to not experiment a lot but give a structured, colourful and funky look to each of them that people have not seen them in. With limited time on my hands it was challenging for me to create this collection. I have used a lot of bright pastels and white, keeping in mind the festive season. These are my signature anti-fits that are easy-breezy with design detailing like drapes, pleats, box pleats for a smart and sleek look just the way contemporary men prefer to style their looks
ANUPAM CHATTERJEE, WARSSI KOLKATA
(L-R) Abhinav Jaiswal was dressed in an all-white simple and smart look. His white round-neck front-open boxy kurta, with folded design detailing on the sleeves and back, was paired with white straight pants and sneakers. Rishabh Killa tried an experimental look in the pista green panelled and draped kurta connected to a dart and paired with joggers. Reevu Wangdi wore a soothing lemon-yellow low-shoulder kurta with chest-knot detailing, paired with joggers. Cool shades and watches were part of the chilled-out, easy-to-do and natty styling for this sequence.
Vicktar paired the grey knotted and easy-fit folded-sleeve kurta with dhoti pants. Rohit complemented the frame with a mustard long kurta and dhoti pants. Black shades, watches and flats add to their trim styling.
The mood of the shoot was super fun, with the restaurateurs bonding among themselves while donning the looks with a hint of apprehension to start with, eventually getting comfortable in them. Post-shoot, The Telegraph sat down with the gang for a style chat...
The festive season is here and it is about food and fashion mostly. You all gear up about the food you are going to serve, do you gear up with your fashion as well?
Vicktar: Absolutely! We work in a place where people come wearing pretty clothes and click selfies… we also keep ourselves prim and proper stylewise.
Rohit: We eat good food to feel good. Just like that fashion is an integral part of a person’s life. When we style right, we feel comfortable, confident. And whenever we are wearing something comfortable, we feel happy. Personally, if I am going somewhere, I am conscious about what I am wearing because that reflects my identity, image and style.
Abhinav: We are restaurateurs. We have to keep up with the trend, be it fashion or food.
Reevu: In restaurants, people come wearing best clothes, so obviously we have to keep up with it.
Rishabh: Not really. But after this shoot, I would like to try to experiment more.
What would you define your personal style statement as?
Reevu: Very casual. I like wearing shorts, sneakers, nice plain T-shirts.
Abhinav: Casual and semi-casual.
Rohit: Casual.
Vicktar: As long as I am comfortable...
Rishabh: Casual.
AMALIN AND KANAKLATA DATTA, SHARBARI since 1991
People have always identified us as an occasion wear brand and our work as artwear. This festive collection features silk and velvet outfits involving a lot of layering, texturing, handwork, hand-painting and hand-embroidery. It is an amalgamation of various arts and craft work. These are mostly Indo-western styles for the contemporary man yet rooted in tradition as silhouettes. The highlight of the collection is the artwork effects used on each
AMALIN AND KANAKLATA DATTA, SHARBARI since 1991
(L-R,standing) Rishabh, Vicktar, Rohit, Reevu and Abhinav (sitting) channelled a glam festive lookbook in Sharbari since 1991 outfits by Amalin and Kanaklata Datta. Rishabh donned a Bangalore textured silk angrakha-style achkan, designed with gold and coloured zari on a zigzag texture. He paired it with black pants.
Vicktar was dressed in a bandhgala in the angrakha style made of a mixed micro-velvet and silk fabric, detailed with hand-embroidery and paired with micro-velvet parallel pants. Reevu channelled a vibrant vibe in a colourful patchwork kurta with handwork, paired with a wine-shaded dhoti.
Abhinav in a maroon raw silk tussore angrakha inspired from the traditional kiran art wedding wear, designed with the Calcutta skyline on the kurta as well as the dhoti. Rohit paired a green hand-painted silk sherwani, paired with golden churidar pants.
What is your festive or occasion-wear style statement like?
Vicktar: We work in a place where every Friday, Saturday or Sunday is party time or festive time for us; we need to dress accordingly. It is Western.
Rohit: In Calcutta, during festivals like Puja and Diwali it is a must to wear ethnic-wear but for us being in this industry we are always into something because every day we prefer looking different. So Western casual.
Abhinav: Puja, Diwali or any festival, it has always been ethnic for me.
Reevu: Western.
Rishabh: Indian ethnic.
Is there any fashion item you are obsessed with?
Reevu: Shoes.
Abhinav: Watches.
Rohit: Shoes.
Vicktar: Nothing.
Rishabh: Shoes and watches.
Did you ever have a weird styling phase?
Reevu: There was this time when everybody used to wear bell-bottom jeans. I tried that.
Abhinav: Long-time back we used to hang key chains with baggy pants... it used to be funny.
Rohit: Like he said... we were in school and there used to be baggy pants, but during those days that was the style, today I laugh about it.
Vicktar: Bell-bottom was a fashion for me then, today it is funny.
Rohit,Vicktar and Abhinav: We used to cut the jeans from the side....
Rishabh: I was a very casual kind, so no weird phases.
Do you follow fashion and have a favourite designer?
Reevu: I used to follow Virgil Abloh.
Abhinav: I follow a lot of people but I wear what suits my body.
Rohit: There’s no particular person I follow. If it is even a common man wearing something looking good, I can visualise how I would look in that.
Vicktar: My personal favourite is Raghavendra Rathore.
Rishabh: I just wear what suits on me.
Who do you take style advice from?
Reevu: No one.
Abhinav: Not from anyone. I believe style should come from within.
Rohit: Highlight this for me... mine comes from my wife (everyone laughs)
Vicktar: None.
Rishabh: My near and dear ones.
Do you shop for yourself and are you a shopping addict?
Reevu: Wherever I travel, if I see something nice, I pick it up. And I do like shopping. Online I used to do a lot but off late I stopped.
Abhinav: I see something I like, I buy it.
Rohit: I love exploring. It is not that I go shopping every now and then. If I like something, I pick it up. It should be comfortable.
Vicktar: I never shop for myself. My friends shop for me. I am not a shopper at all.
Rishabh: Not a shopping addict, if I like something, I pick it up.
What did you think of today’s shoot? Have you tried these styles before?
Reevu: This was definitely a first for me. I am not sure if I will wear such styles again but it felt good to try.
Abhinav: The casual one is good for a vacay and the other one I would definitely like to try during the festive time.
Rohit: The first set of outfits were unique and comfortable. And for the second set, I have experienced it only once in my life and I hope it is the only time... that was my wedding (everyone laughs)
Rishabh: The first sequence is more my style but I liked experimenting with the second sequence, too.
Pictures: Pabitra Das
Location courtesy: ITC Royal Bengal
Hair and Make-up: Bivas Jana
Styling: Anupam Chatterjee