Amit Aggarwal is a bonafide movie buff. The couturier, who has dressed everyone from Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday to Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Vijay Deverakonda, says not a single day goes by without him watching a film.
His taste? A little bit of everything. Sci-fi, superheroes, rom-coms, philosophy, even animation — nothing is off the table. “Romance is as much a part of my life as architecture and science,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter India.
Three months after relaunching his ready-to-wear line, AM.IT at India Art Fair and weeks after showcasing his couture collection, Orizon, at Lakmé Fashion Week, he’s already back in the thick of it. “I took it a little slow last week,” he says, laughing, “but all the financial demons are floating over my head now.”
Retail Reimagined
Aggarwal believes retail today is no longer tied to a single point of sale. With global access reshaping how people shop, even couture clients are comfortable buying online. The shift, he says, has made retail less transactional and far more experiential.
That thinking reflects how his stores function. “All our retail staff is aware of collections that are in the pipeline, the ideologies of the brand, and even how the garments are constructed,” he says. Store managers double up as stylists — and when needed, Aggarwal himself steps in.
Among his most talked-about pieces — judging by the steady stream of comments on social media — is the Banarasi sari gown, famously seen on Kareena Kapoor Khan.
“Textiles that have a lot of culture and history, sometimes, do not find the right positioning in your day-to-day life,” he says. “You may have a stunning vintage sari from your grandmother, but it may be challenging to style it.”
His solution lies in reinvention. Aggarwal repurposes pre-owned textiles that are no longer wearable, restructuring them into couture pieces and proving that it’s all in the details. Well, in this case, also the drape.
Choosing the Celebrity
He has created such a distinctive signature that one wonders if any celebrity clients — or, let’s be honest, their stylists — ever push him out of his comfort zone. “I don’t allow for that to happen,” he says with a laugh. He’s grateful that most clients, including names like Diana Penty, Sobhita Dhulipala, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and more, arrive with a clear vision that aligns with his design philosophy, and he welcomes feedback along the way.
Styling celebrities, however, is no easy task. With multiple events across the year, they’re constantly looking for new outfits.
“It’s an ongoing exercise,” Aggarwal says. “Weekly, and sometimes daily during a big season of red carpets or movie promotions.” Beyond their stylists, the brand keeps close touch with actors whenever needed.
“But, of course, discretion is very important. We try and maintain the luxury quotient by identifying and working with people who understand our ethos and are the right fit for the brand,” he adds. “That allows for more impactful and true placements rather than spreading ourselves thin and being seen on everyone.”
This strategy was clear in his choice of actor Disha Patani as showstopper at Lakmé Fashion Week.
“There are certain decisions that the brand takes when it’s a collaboration — like with Indriya, Aditya Birla Jewellery,” he says. But what he seeks is a person who embodies the spirit of the brand.
He continues, “At Couture Week, a lot of the times we’ve not really looked at a celebrity to close the show because the design or the concept itself was the muse and the showstopper.”
“Disha has been really bold with her choices,” he says, adding, “She felt like the right fit for this association.” Still, Aggarwal has never had a single muse. His brand is for those who are confident, strong, opinionated, and unafraid to experiment.
Singers Raja Kumari, John Legend and Björk have all taken to wearing Amit Aggarwal designs on stage. Performance outfits, therefore, are designed with movement in mind.
“Performers have to be really the most animated selves on the stage, so I feel stage clothing should allow movement and flexibility,” he says. Adding that the outfit must make an impact, as audiences see performers from afar, Aggarwal continues, “The materiality, how it captures in photographs, and allows for the movements to be as true to the performer’s is integral.”
A standout example came in 2013 when singer Dannii Minogue wore a metallic, structured gown by Aggarwal for the cover of her compilation album “This Is It: The Very Best Of”. “That was an organic placement,” he says. “It wasn’t something that we consciously worked on a placement for.”
Chatter Box
Aggarwal has often seen celebrities wearing his designs and the posts blowing up on Instagram. But he doesn’t seek it — that’s just a byproduct of the algorithm.
“Virality spikes the numbers, but the continuity of what you speak or show your audience is the benchmark of a brand,” he feels. “Because virality engages audiences that may not be your direct audience.”
He insists that it doesn’t stand the test of time. “I think it just adds the buzz, but unfortunately, we live in a day and age that has viral moments throughout the day. I have seen that for luxury brands, virality doesn’t really lead to much. It’s just chatter,” he says. Ultimately, he believes that true storytelling and honesty in product and design is what prevails.
Looking ahead, with the new financial year looming, business expansion is on the agenda. Aggarwal is exploring strategies to make the brand more accessible, expanding the product line beyond clothing, and creating more experiential offerings.
“We expand retail through a very large flagship that’s coming around in [Mumbai’s] Kala Ghoda sometime soon (that’s where one can find the new Prêt line too),” he shares.
Outside of work, he plans to travel — and, naturally, the movie buff admits he would love to design for films, as long as they connect to his brand’s design language.
“I think a Tim Burton movie or actually, even Indian movies are also coming of age,” he says. “I wouldn’t do something boring, you know.”