Akshara

It’s 2010, I’m wearing a navy blue long sleeve jersey top, blue denims, ballet flats, carrying a fire red Guess handbag and wearing a warm yellow beret. In this repeller outfit, I was going to the movies to watch Aisha. After 14 years, Aisha stands as any fashion enthusiasts sweet treat. From Anamika Khanna, Manish Arora to Christian Lacroix, Aisha was and still is a treat to my fashion deprived eyes. (I still think about the Manish Arora x Reebok Boots I should have bought.).

Fast forward to the 29 March 2024, I’m wearing a purple baby tee, a white linen skirt and emerald green ballet flats, going to the movies to watch The Crew. Now, the move is FUN, the music is ace and the cherry on top personally is the clothes. Each heroine was styled to perfection, each drilling in on a particular style well suited to their characters and personalities.

Kriti:

Summary: Cool, effortless, casual, sexy

Kriti is styled to perfection, wearing her character on her sleeves, throughout the movie, her outfits are a reflection of her personality – rebellious, confident and a flair of maturity. She is seen in lots of mini skirts, oversize tees and blazers, denim cut-offs, leather jackets, and legs for days! Even her workout outfit can be labelled as “Cool girl” – bike shorts, an oversize purple jumper, scrunched up socks and sneakers. Think Princess Diana going off-duty. Also spotted a Rugby jumper / top on Kriti which is taking shape on TikTok as a Autumn/Winter trend prediction.

Colour pallette: black, grey, white, brown, cream, light green and the odd pop of colour.

Tabu:

Summary: Home grown, easy, classic, feminine

A treat for tired eyes, Tabu was styled in delicious sets, dresses, kaftans, trench coat dresses, classic blue jeans and white shirt combinations, and dresses paired with blazers. I noticed a lot of cool cottons, linens and flattering silhouettes plus spotted a few home grown brands such as Pero, Style Mati & Studio Medium. Special mention to the beautiful Pero dress and matching coat.

Colour pallette: hot pink, navy blue, white, shades of green and deep burgundy.

Kareena:

Summary: Fun, business, textures, bright colours

Kareena can make a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans look interesting. Kareena’s character is an off-duty entrepreneur who is styled in two piece sets, lots of blazers, dresses cinched at the waist, high waisted skirts and midi dresses. I also noticed some layering with shirts over crop tops, chunky belts and a good balance of business meets casual with a twist. What also stood out was the use of different textures used in combination with bright colours.

Colour pallette: hot pinks, bright greens and blues, shades of brown and red.

Despite individual fashion choices, the looks seamlessly came together for group scenes, where each individual characters still retaining the core essence of their characters, were synced by colour. Still sticking to their colour pallets, the outfits variations were there but none had clashed.

Images from A Dictionary Of Color Combinations

One of the reasons I enjoy watching movies are the costumes and styling. Each look from the shade of lipstick down to the bag is styled to mould to the character and establish a story. Certain hues are worn to represent a characters emotions and journey in a movie. Seeing the styling in The Crew, solidified the importance of styling to establish each individual characters essence, understanding their nature and solidifying their own individual presence. Clothing is often chosen with reason in movies, as colour and style shifts can tell a greater story about where a character’s headspace is beyond the dialogues. What’s refreshing is that the outfits don’t follow trends that have a shelf life of two weeks, but in fact are setting new trends.

-A