Holi fashion is tricky to curate. It is after all, the festival of colours, and you will probably resemble a paint palette by the end of the celebrations. But, there is always that pre-celebration photo-op for your personal gallery or that ‘Holi hai!’ posts for the ’gram. For your Holi special snapshot, take a shade out of the style canvas of Kolkata’s most popular faces and check out what they’re donning this festive day.
Doma Wang, chef and restaurateur
Doma Wang in her favourite Holi attire
Doma Wang, Kolkata’s momo queen and the culinary mind behind popular eateries The Blue Poppy Thakali and Boma Asian Bakery, always has her fashion game on point! Her social media handles are a glimpse into her style ranging from elegant ethnic to sassy and quirky. When it comes to Holi, the Tibetan chef and restaurateur has a signature style with Bangali vibes.“I do like to wear my laal paar sari”, she shared with My Kolkata. Her ritual on the festive day is to uphold the community spirit by greeting her neighbours and loved ones with abir and sweets.
Anupam Roy, musician and author
“Find the jama that can easily be discarded if destroyed by colour stains,” shared popular singer-composer Anupam Roy. While curating a look for the festive day cannot be missed, it is a smart practice to set aside clothes that are not reigning your current look for Holi. Since the mercury has started to climb, breathable fabrics — think old, soft t-shirts and comfy pants — are a great way to go when participating in the extravaganza of colours.
Devlina Kumar, artiste and educator
‘Go desi’ is actress, academic and educator Devlina Kumar’s mantra for her Holi look. The trained dancer and fashion enthusiast, who shares her looks on social media, prefers to go ethnic and zhuzhing up her look with accessories. Wear jhumkas and a lot of red bangles,” she said. Statement jewellery is a hassle-free and effective way to amp up any look, especially if you are looking to recycle your older ethnic wear for your Holi playing session. Be it with kundan-work and minakari earrings, silver danglers and kadas, or glass bangles, carefully picked accessories can help you style your look according to your mood — from a boho-chic and Indo-western to traditional.
Chitrangada Satarupa, entrepreneur and actor
Actress and entrepreneur Chitrangada Satarupa stresses the importance of taking care of your skin and hair on the festive day. After all, fashion is much more than just your clothes! “I put oil in my hair,” she said, sharing her one unmissable style ritual for the day. A good ol’ champi, and moisturising the body, not only helps protect against harsh chemicals used in most gulaal, but also makes rinsing off the colour easier. While Chitrangada used to love putting kohl on her eyes on Holi, the aftermath “turned out to be scary”. So now, she only wears dainty jhumkas and steers clear from precious or semi-precious metals.
Samragnee Bandyopadhyay, author and academic
“Holi was the best festival of my childhood, but now I suffer from several allergies and can’t really play. If at all I fall prey to my temptation, then I definitely apply oil or vaseline before I dress up,” said author and academic Samragnee Bandyopadhyay, echoing Chitrangada’s sentiments about taking care of your skin and hair. Samragnee also advocates the use of organic gulaal — an option that is skin friendly and biodegradable.
Samragnee, who is also the screenplay writer of popular Bengali films like Baba Baby O, and web series Lojja and Noshtoneer, usually slips into comfortable old clothes in shades of white.