Renaissance Man

For a boy who left home at 17 and worked two jobs to support himself, because his father wanted him to be a chartered accountant and he would rather stitch clothes, Troy Costa has done pretty well for himself. Coming from a lower middleclass family with limited opportunities, Troy embarked on a solo, painful journey that proved his credence in the world of design. His dream was to study at the London College of Fashion, so he worked in almost 60 Bollywood films, but couldn’t make enough money to make the trip. He swore never to touch 70 MM again. “I never graduated from LCF—I couldn’t collect the ₹12,70,000 I needed to pay my fee,” recalls Troy. “It was heart-breaking, but I have moved on.” But life, as they say, has many surprises tucked away. When he met Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan, as his stylist for a photo shoot, Troy didn’t like his clothes and promised to make him some. This relationship, which started in 2001 when he launched his label, has survived the test of turbulent times.

With Narendra Damodardas Modi, whom he calls ‘chic’, as his latest client, Troy is on a roll. After all, he’s producing an entirely new set of clothes for the man heading the country. Troy believes hard work is the only way to succeed, a bit like Giorgio Armani, who likes to stay away from the public eye. He is not social, he would prefer finding inspirations to tell stirring stories. So his 12-hour work day revolves around dressing men in colour, as he believes romance is back in menswear. “The change in India is taking place slowly, but steadily, so you see tangerines, burnt magenta and cobalt blue surfing into men’s closets,” he chuckles. “And this makes me happy, as colours symbolise just that overwhelming sentiment.”

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Shahid Kapoor: Always a-la-mode!

“Designing for the chocolate boy of the nation is a challenging task. We are constantly expected to reinvent and innovate, as Shahid Kapoor is always playing with new looks to go with his various characters. He took centre stage at IIFA wearing an aubergine, single-breasted, one-button, long shawl lapel, three-piece tuxedo. I think it only added to his youthful charisma.” Ayushmann Khurrana: The debonair “His boy-next-door charm has won him acclaim and fame. What’s amazing about him is that he doesn’t let clothes overpower him. We took the liberty of presenting him in a charcoal black, single-breasted, double shawl lapel tuxedo with a purple houndstooth bow tie, which he wore rather elegantly.”

Vir Das: The entertainer “Dressing him up is always an amiable affair.

While hosting the IIFA wearing a deep purple, single breasted, one-button, peak yoke lapel, three-piece tuxedo in his now bearded avatar, he kept the audience in splits.”

Vidyut Jammwal: The swashbuckler “Vidyut is one of the fittest actors in the industry. A specially-designed violet, dot weave, single-breasted, one-button, shadow velvet, shawl lapel tuxedo ensured his striking presence among a bevy of beauties as he judged the Miss India contest.”

“Dressed to leave everyone swooning, he wore an opulent cobalt blue, single breasted, one-button, shawl-piped lapel tuxedo at IIFA. Being the perfectionist that he is, Hrithik Roshan pulled the look off to the T.”