Few of you might know that actress Sonakshi Sinha was a student of fashion design a couple of years ago, at a well-known college in Mumbai. Among the faculty was ace designer Ken Ferns, who had the opportunity to dress her up – for the first time – for the Global Indian Music Awards in Mumbai last night.
He speaks to Team MissMalini about the kind of student Sonakshi was and the experience of dressing her up a few years later, as a Bollywood star.
Team MissMalini: How did you get to dress up Sonakshi for her stage performance at the Global Indian Music Awards in Mumbai last night?
Ken Ferns: I was approached by Sonakshi and her stylist, Sakshi Mehra to do these outfits for the event. The brief was that she’s performing some of her most famous songs from her films and would need quick changes which wouldn’t take more than a few seconds. So, I thought of doing something contemporary. I didn’t want to design a typical saree-choli or lehenga choli. So I designed a black catsuit, embellished with embroidery and studs, over which she could wear her saree and ghagras. They all had velcro fastenings for quich changes.
Since stage outfits are very blingy and bright, I tried to maintain the opulence along with a touch of class.
Team MM: How was Sonakshi as a student when you taught her a few years ago?
Ken Ferns: I taught her fashion illustration and fashion portfolio design at a Mumbai based college. She was a very diligent student and always excited about her work. She always submitted her assignments on time.
Most of all, she’s always been humble and grounded and all that, put together, is testimony to her success as an actress today.
Team MM: What was Sonakshi’s reaction to the outfits you designed for her?
Ken Ferns: Sonakshi was so happy! She said that these are among the best performance outfits she has worn.