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In conversation with News18, Shubhangi decodes Vir’s ensemble and how his Instagram post resonated with her brand, Salooka’s design language.
Vir Das wore Salooka by Shubhangi Bajpai’s tailored jacket, pleated lungi-inspired pants paired with a Chikankari shirt.
World-renowned stand-up comedian, singer, and actor Vir Das made history as the first Indian to host the International Emmy Awards 2024 in New York.
The moment Vir was announced as the Emmy host in September 2024, he took to Instagram offering young budding designers and brands to design an outfit he could wear to the 52nd International Emmy Awards.
Cut to September 25, 2024, after an overwhelming response to his social media post, Vir chose the Delhi-based fashion label Salooka, helmed by fashion designer Shubhangi Bajpai.
“It started with Vir Das’ post on Instagram, where he invited new designers/young brands to do his Emmy’s outfit. He clearly expressed that he wanted to take India ahead with his outfit, rather than going in a tuxedo,” expresses Shubhangi Bajpai, adding, “Vir Das has been consistently raising the bar and inspiring artists across the board. No one does it better than him and there is nothing more precious than getting the opportunity to create for your muse.”
The moment Shubhangi saw the brief on Vir’s Instagram, she was drawn to the idea of merging native Indian attires with the classic formal suit. “I think back to when the colonial Indian man embraced tailoring borrowed from the British and married it with local cultural garments—lungi, dhoti, topi, and khadi. That was indeed a milestone and a golden period for menswear fashion globally,” adds Shubhangi.
For Vir’s outfit, Shubhangi proposed a crisp single-button tailored jacket and a pleated lungi-inspired pair of pants (made in fine wool suiting), along with a new take on the cummerbund with a button closure.
The highlight of his Emmy look was the shirt he paired with the jacket. The shirt celebrated the iconic Chikankari embroidery with elan.
“Chikankari is one of the classiest and one of the most beautiful embroideries hailing from Lucknow—it is tone-on-tone, texture-rich, subtle, delicate, and humble. To complement the suit, I put together a Chikankari bandhgala shirt with extremely talented artisans and craft clusters in Lucknow,” expressed Shubhangi.
When asked how challenging was it to create the ensemble in such a short time, Shubhangi says, “While sketching the look was a calm affair done with music playing in the background on my dining table, making the look was a roller coaster. In a week’s time, me and my humble team of one masterji and one karigar worked together to get the right fits after practically some ten test fits.”
She further adds, “From drafting the patterns in paper to final finishes and embellishments, many hands were involved across Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Jaipur. Every trim was either tastefully sourced or made from scratch, including the lining of the jacket that flaunts the grandeur of India through a carefully crafted print on fine silk canvas.”
A NIFT graduate, Shubhangi who has worked under the tutelage of renowned fashion designer brands such as Shantanu & Nikhil and Khanijo, Shubhangi discovered her love for menswear design—the construction, the textiles, and the potential and need for both innovation and art. “I borrow my art and design from my roots – Lucknow – a beautiful concoction of art, culture, love, architecture, literature, and flavours to die for. I was fortunate to take birth in a family that was so passionate and drawn to their craft – food and recipes. I learnt precision and passion for crafts from my grandfather and father who have been serving great taste through generations to people from all walks of life.”
Shubhangi is currently in the development phase of building her brand, Salooka, which revolves around the idea of streetwear inspired by our native streets, clothing, textiles, crafts, causes, and culture. “Salooka is my journal of deep-rooted love for what I have grown up seeing and been nurtured in, through a medium I love most, my craft. Growing up, I heard stories of Undivided Hindustan wrapped in culture and art. I often found myself going back to those roots.”
With Salooka, every day, Shubhangi tries to outline, touch, feel, and live that utopia of the Undivided South Asian Culture. “A clothing brand and more, Salooka is cradled in art, culture, and craft with a telltale heart. Salooka is an odyssey of our own streets, one fit at a time, one story at a time,” shares Shubhangi.