Actor Samantha, known to create a splash with her choice of attire, has launched a new fashion brand called 'Saaki'. The actor said that Saaki is a reflection of who she is, as she is. She also recounted her journey in fashion, noting that she's always been enamoured by it.
"Saaki has been a dream of mine, and my baby for many months. ...It is a reflection of my love for fashion and my journey in life. Before I even started my acting career, I was enamoured by fashionable people and styles in magazines. I remember when I was in college, there was no way that I could afford a designer outfit. Since I started acting, I’ve had the honour of wearing clothes designed by talented designers. Many years later, I would wear an outfit with my signature on it. This has been an emotional journey. I’ve come this far only with the love that all of you have showered me with. I want to share this joy with all of you. Saaki is my way of building our friendship, sharing my life, and creating moments with you that will be special and just ours," she wrote on Instagram.
The clothes appear to be casual and party wear, with an emphasis on comfort and affordability.
Several Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, John Abraham, Bipasha Basu and others have their own fashion brands. In the south, too, the trend is catching on. Here's a list of south actors who've forayed into the fashion industry.
Mahesh Babu's The Humbl Co: The menswear brand includes sweatshirts, hoodies, shirts, T-shirts, and bottom wear and other items. Explaining the reason behind the name, Mahesh Babu, known for his subtle style, said, "The Humbl Co's clothing collection is an expression of my personal style and way of life. Through The Humbl Co, I want to cement my relationship with my fans by inspiring them to live real and stay humble."
Kajal Aggarwal and Nisha Aggarwal's Marsala: The premium jewellery brand was launched by the Aggarwal sisters along with entrepreneur Supriya Khanna. The brand has a range of accessories, from earrings to chains, rings, bracelets and more. The designs strike a balance between the traditional and the contemporary.
Vijay Deverakonda's Rowdy Wear: Capitalising on his Arjun Reddy image, Vijay launched his fashion brand Rowdy Wear through the Rowdy Wear app. In February this year, Vijay announced that the brand was collaborating with online fashion portal Myntra to expand its reach. "ROWDY WEAR is meant for street style fashion and youngsters have received it with big arms. On that note, we are launching ROWDY WEAR footwear and accessories like mugs, slates, belts, and bottles. This year we are taking the brand to the next level and so we are collaborating with Myntra because it has a wider reach. I’m really happy with it," he said. The brand includes shirts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, kurtas, jackets, hoodies, joggers, sneakers, caps, and belts with a price range under Rs 2,000.
Yash's Villain: KGF star Yash recently partnered with grooming brand Beardo to launch Villain, a lifestyle brand. The products include perfume, T-shirts and hoodies. Yash had won acclaim for playing the role of Rocky, a hero with negative shades in the blockbuster Kannada film KGF. The actor will also give out 100 signed merchandise items to his fans.
Kavya Madhavan's Laksyah: The collection includes sarees, salwars, anarkalis and other ethnic wear. There's also a special 'celeb wear' section where clothes endorsed by Kavya and other actors like Mamta Mohandas can be found.
Poornima Indrajith's Pranaah: The well-established brand has a wide range of apparels, from traditional to fusion wear. Pranaah also has a 'celeb wear' section which features actors such as Manju Warrier, Priyamani and others. There's also a selection which is customisable according to the buyer's needs.