Chitrangada Singh on fashion, films, and her love for 90s style

In a candid tête-à-tête, Chitrangada Singh discusses her journey as a fashion designer, her adoration for vivid hues and the Hindi film industry

“I’ve always been a very sort of summer dress, white T-shirt, jeans kind of a person,” says actor Chitrangada Singh, known for her memorable portrayals in movies such as Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Bob Biswas, and the critically acclaimed web series Modern Love: Mumbai. However, the former model is now delving headfirst into fashion , co-designing with the trueBrowns team the Spring-Summer 2023 collection Saadgi. The collection is an extension of her personal style with the use of traditional prints and dyes such as indigo, dabu, and Bagru along with hand-blocks in chic and modern silhouettes.

“I brought in certain style elements such as the cut, depth, and shape of the neck, and even the length of the co-ord sets,” she says, incorporating her personal style and preferences in the design process. “We also made sure to use fabrics that were not too thick, focussing on comfort.”

The collection is aimed at the modern Indian woman who values both comfort and style. “The fabric needs to feel good all day, but there needs to be a style element,” she says, with clean silhouettes being key for her. She also prefers jewel tones as her colour palette, stating that “Jewel tones are stunning on Indian skin, which is why we used a lot of yellows, deep greens, chocolate browns, oranges, and neon yellow — all quintessentially Indian hues.”

Chitrangada places a premium on quality when choosing designer garments over the brand name, for the sake of sustainability and ethical fashion. She encourages shopping less and reusing clothing instead of disposing of it, as one potential solution.

At present, Chitrangada is captivated by the resurgence of padded-shoulder and oversized blazers, a trend that harks back to the 90s and early 80s. “It’s such a cool vibe and adds an edge to any outfit,” she explains.

She is also thrilled about the resurgence of straight-fit jeans, a nostalgic nod to the 90s. “I love the ease and comfort of these jeans. They’re not constricting like skinny jeans, and they just look effortlessly cool,” she says.

Talking about Hindi songs, Chitrangada has a clear favourite to play every time she enters a room. She reveals that it’s ‘Kala Chashma’, saying, “It’s got the coolest remixes, so that’s a perfect choice.” She also has her favourite from her film Desi Boyz, ‘Subah honey na dey’ which she loves.