RINA DHAKA

Years spent on the cutting table have helped designer, Rina Dhaka hone her fashion skills. A strong dresser, she goes for obvious sexiness and has no qualms stating that her style is ‘a defiance’. Known for her outrageous use of colour, she has recently undergone a transformation, turning to mellower tones. “I’ve overdone my brights,” she says, explaining her switch to nudes, mustards and browns.

Subtle hues but the modernity and provocativeness remain intact.

Dhaka’s waif-like frame is perfect for her inclination to wear body-hugging attire. “I’ve tried to wear loose silhouettes, it’s just not me.” The fabrics she leans towards are any that imbibe flexibility. Even her haute couture jeans stick to her like a second skin, with labels like Seven and Earl’s in her wardrobe. Her closet boasts an impressive list of designer names. From Helmut Lang and Donna Karan – “I ONLY wear Donna Karan sweaters!” – to Stuart Weitzman and Miu Miu for shoes and bags.

We’ve often seen Dhaka in corsets, which she seems to enjoy wearing. Paired with denims and high pumps, she has an instinct for coming up with combinations that flatter her. What with all her shopping trips to Bond Street and King’s Road in London, it’s hardly surprising that Dhaka is not really into wearing ethnic outfits. However, when the occasion demands, she goes for a spunkier flavour in low riding churidars or kurtis in Lycra.

Not one for excessive accessories, Dhaka likes to let her shoes and bags do the talking. A shoe fiend, she has an extensive collection and finds it hard to play favourites. With jewellery, she doesn’t like anything ‘too shiny’ and keeps it to a minimum. Obsessively following fashion seasons, the stylesmith cannot function without a cyclical update of her wardrobe. “It’s the only way for me,” she says firmly. Swinging from eccentric impulses to carefully contemplated selections, Dhaka keeps changing. Whether it’s her outfits, or her hair, she always has a surprise up her sleeve.

Memorable Moment -- At a wedding this year, in a white crushed lehenga, worn with a strappy Lycra top cutaway at the waist. A nice change from all the heavy shaadi finery!