Mumbai, Feb 15
Model-designer Gabriella Demetriades turned costume designer for her boyfriend Arjun Rampal for his upcoming film 'Crakk: Jeetegaa Toh Jiyegaa'.
Gabriella said that her beau’s looks needed to reflect someone who was super comfortable with his body and very powerful without ever being over the top.
Talking about Arjun’s look in the film, Gabriella shared: "It’s an extreme sports film, high-octane, and it’s a very cool world that has been created, and Arjun’s character is a very strong character within this world. His looks needed to reflect someone who was super comfortable with his body and very powerful without ever being over the top.”
She aimed for a commanding yet “understated aesthetic, echoing Arjun’s personal style”.
Gabriella, who has two children with Arjun, added: “We wanted his attire to exude power while maintaining a sense of effortless coolness. Another aspect that we had to consider while designing his outfits was that it’s an action film, so he will be doing the most insane stunts and action; therefore, his clothes also needed to be statement and slick while allowing him to move."
Sharing about the process of designing costumes for an action film, Gabriella said: "Having extremely beautiful looks made and then cutting holes in them feels like sacrilege, but you have to do what you have to do for a harness.”
She shared that a lot of the garments were one-off vintage finds that she searched all over Europe for, so duplicating them was hard, but she managed.
“Having your own production unit really helps when doing wardrobe, and I think the team has fun when we get to do costumes. I also love sourcing and finding one-of-a-kind pieces or new designers."
Ensuring that the costumes resonated with the audience and translated effectively on-screen was another key focus for Gabriella, she said: "I love playing with texture and layers, and using monochrome colours but with different fabrics and elements to create depth and warmth. My worst fear is for an outfit to look like a costume; it shouldn’t be an outfit.”
“I like things that have character and look like they belong to the person wearing them. Aging fabrics and manipulating them for me is very important. Also, making sure the actor loves what they are wearing and is comfortable makes a big difference in it translating well."
‘Crakk’ also stars Vidyut Jammwal and Nora Fatehi. It is slated to release on February 23. The film is directed by Aditya Datt.
