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Diljit Dosanjh is a man of few words but big fashionst
ments. Sure, the multi-hyphenate can launch his own“g
guy Diljit” memes—his self-effacing honesty is the first
thing you notice about him. Well, almost. This, onlya
you have had a good look at his chunky Balenciaga Trip
kicks, one of his many notable fashion acquisitions thathad
the big kahunas of fashion (excuse my French) shook.
Not too long ago, the 35-year-old was rising through
ranks of the Punjabi pop genre to solidify his spot as am
stream Bollywood actor. How he dressed, however, f
shadowed his superstardom. Today, Mr Dosanjh is 100per
cent Mr Hypebeast. There’s nothing unassuming about
personal style—the head-to-toe Gucci, straight-off-the-r
way Prada, the encyclopedic knowledge of brands andt
latest offerings and his strong opinions about fashion
personal favourite: “Virgil da kam changa hai”). Here,
reticent Dosanjh tells us more.
“My family has no clue about my purchases”
Dosanjh sets the record straight. “My friends don’t un
stand why I burn my money on these designer purchases.
Boltey hain kyu paise kharab karta hai. My family, too,
no clue. I don’t wish for them to ever know, either,”he
veals. “Just that they all know main sabse zyada fashion
banda hoon.” He cites his love for fashion as hispr
source of inspiration. “This is my passion, and I put inall
research. I try to get some meaty bedtime browsingtosee
what’s new,” he says.
“Sikhs are never not well-turned-out”
Dosanjh, a practising Sikh, references his culture asins
ing him to be immaculate at all times. “A man who wea
turban will mostly be seen in pant-kameez. In fact, wearing
T-shirts has been frowned upon, too, by people around
This is how I have seen the older men in my commun
dress, and it certainly has been passed on to me. Onlyth
have my own interpretation of the said dress code.”
“I like Virgil’s style”
The iconic appointment of Virgil Abloh as the artisticdirec-
tor of Louis Vuitton menswear isn’t lost on Dosanjh.
first-generation immigrant tops the singer-actor’s lis
people who influence his style. “Jab se Virgil aya hai, ma
aa gaya hai, hip hop ho gaya hai brand. I like Jaden Sm
too,” he says. On the home turf, Saif Ali Khan’s nawabis
is Dosanjh’s jam. “Not only the signature kurta-clad
ings, but his causal wear game is strong, too.” In Kh
context, he also makes a universal statement aboutst
“When Saif wears something, it doesn’t feel like the out
wearing him, which is the case with a lot of people. Whe
wears an outfit, he really wears it,” he says. “His gymou
are so effortless, too. I am a fan of how he styles his sock
“I spend all my money on clothes
and shoes”
Dosanjh reminisces about his childhood
when his access to designer clothes was
limited. “Bua chachi koi jean le aayi, wahi
chalta tha. I would save it for a grand occa-
sion to show it off,” he recalls. In case you
didn’t notice, the situation has turned on
its head quite wonderfully. “Now that I
have the access and money, I spend all of it
on clothes and shoes. I have no other pur-
suits. I don’t drink or smoke. I live on pro-
ducers’ money. Everything in my life is
taken care of. I don’t see a better way of
spending my money.” But he’s quick to
warn the youth: “Agar main show busi-
ness mein nahi hota, I swear, main ek ru-
paya nahi kharchna tha.”“My first designer buy was a Paul
Smith suit”
While Versace, Prada, Balenciaga and the
internet-breaking brand Vetements popu-
late the Bollywood actor’s closet lately, he
takes us back to his humble beginnings.
“While I don’t remember how and why I
became increasingly obsessed with fash-
ion, I do remember this one time when I
had to attend a Punjabi award function.
All celebrities were given sherwanis to
wear. I wanted to wear something differ-
ent, so I remember I bought a Paul Smith
suit. Maine kaha stage par jaunga, acha to
lagna chahiye. Us din mainu lagaya ki ajj
maine dedh lakh da suit lita hai.”“I love shopping in London”
“Yeh India mein woh cheezein bhejengey jo
do mahine pehle khatam ho chuki hai... I
love London, jidda nanke jaan da chaa
nahi honda nyanya nu, unha cha hai mai-
nu London jan da.” Dosanjh doesn’t be-
lieve in sourcing clothes. “I like exclusive
pieces that no one else has.” And no stylist
for him either. “Same mental level wala
mila nahi. Ek gaana aya hai French Mon-
tana ka, ‘No Stylist’. Suna hai aapne? I
simply take a mahak of how interestingly
the clothes have been styled by people in
fashion and do my own thing. Main same
nahi karta; woh copy-paste ho jata hai.”
—Kusha Kapila