Exclusive to FashioncirQle : An Interview with Rahul Khanna

He’s young, he’s goodlooking and he’s that perfect guy every girl would want to go on a date with. One of India’s Best Dressed Men, Rahul can carry off a high end designer suit and a traditional kurta pyjama with equal ease. Rahul is a thorough Gentleman, as well. When I approached him on twitter for an interview via email, he readily agreed. How cool is that?

Here are the excerpts from the interview :

Question 1: Rahul, you are one of India’s Best Dressed Men. Can you describe your personal style?

Firstly, thank you! I think my personal style is really quite simple. I like understated, classic clothes with a hint of nostalgia.

1: A sharp, fitted, dark suit, 2: Crisp white button-down shirts (you can’t have too many of these), 3: A simple pair of brogues in black or brown that should be kept immaculately polished at all times, 4: A pair of white linen pants and, 5: The number of a really good tailor.

Question 3: Is there anything which you see other men wearing, which makes you cringe?
Anything with a big brand or logo on it.

There are a lot of actors who are very smartly turned out and some who aren’t. Either way, clothes shouldn’t be taken too seriously. It’s all about how they make you feel. As long as you are not so inappropriately dressed that you offend the host of the event or are being disrespectful to the occasion, I say, live and let live.

Question 5: A lot of men avoid wearing bright colors. Do you wear a lot of color? Can you suggest some tips for our readers on how they can incorporate color in their wardrobe?
I personally do not wear a lot of color. I sometimes broaden my palette with a splash of color via a pocket square or a polo shirt or a boutonnière but I’m most comfortable in blue, black, white and grey.

Not really. My dad has given me a couple of nice suits and a couple of his old watches. Akshaye once gave me what is, till today, one of my favorite trench coats that I use when I’m travelling. He was also the one who introduced me to the work of Rajesh Pratap Singh, who is now one of my favorite designers. He had come home wearing this blue linen shirt from his Dil Chahta Hai wardrobe and told me how I must check out this new designer’s work. Rajesh Pratap Singh shirts are now some of my most favorite pieces in my closet.

While I love nice things, I hate shopping for them. The whole process of going into a store and trying things on sends me into a panic. I prefer online shopping. I think I might be a bit spoiled from being in this business where before a shoot or event, professional stylists bring a whole lot of clothes to you. But, even then, I can’t bear trying things on. I guess it helps to know exactly what you like and what looks good on you and not be swayed by trends and marketing. I also am somewhat of a minimalist and don’t like the idea of possessing too much “stuff”, so I tend to give a lot of things away and retain only things I really like and actively use.

I like certain brands but nothing that is in-your-face or ostentatious. I don’t believe you have to spend a lot to be stylish. Some of the most stylish people I know rarely wear clothes from big brands.

Question 9: Here are some Rapid fire Questions for you:

a. Besides you, who do you think is the Best Dressed Male in Bollywood?

I really like the way my dad and his generation dresses, till today.

What is this? A sartorial Sophie’s Choice? Must I choose? If so, it would be white.

A Sincer thanks to Rahul from the entire FashioncirQle team.

Photo Credit : Paul Gregory