>GreenC bot at 19:29, 21 April 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Aki Narula
| image =Aki Narula at Esha Deol's sangeet ceremony 01.jpg
| caption = Aki Narula at Esha Deol's sangeet ceremony
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968}}
| birth_place =[[Kolkata]]
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = fashion designer, costume designer
| years_active =1994-present
}}
'''Aki Narula''' (born 1968) is an [[India]]n [[fashion designer]] and [[costume designer]] and [[wardrobe stylist]] in [[Hindi films]], who is most known for films like, ''[[Bunty Aur Babli]]'' (2006), ''[[Jhoom Barabar Jhoom]]'' (2007) and ''[[Dostana (2008 film)|Dostana]]'' (2008). His brand label "AKI" was launched in 1996.<ref name=teh>{{cite web|title=FASHION: How to Dress a Rockstar|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=hu011011How.asp|date=1 October 2011|publisher=[[Tehelka]] Magazine, Vol 8, Issue 39|access-date=2 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924065119/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=hu011011How.asp|archive-date=24 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Born and brought up in [[Kolkata]], he did his schooling from [[La Martiniere Calcutta]], and passed out in 1987. He graduated in commerce from [[St. Xavier's College, Kolkata]], while at college, he started designing clothes for rock concerts, college plays and ''Xavotsav'', the annual college fest. He worked with the [[Lintas]] Group, as a management trainee, for a period of ten months, before going to [[Arizona State University]], for a communications course.<ref name=indo>{{cite web |title=Aki Narula:Biography |url=http://www.indobase.com/fashion/fashion-designers/aki-narula.html |publisher=indobase }}</ref>

Aki has had no formal training in fashion designing. "While studying commerce at St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, I was completely taken up by fashion. And despite no formal training in fashion designing, I began to design outfits for my friends," he said.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120916/jsp/graphiti/story_15980306.jsp#.UPfV6R2PEfQ | location=Calcutta, India | work=The Telegraph | title=Driven by design | date=16 September 2012}}</ref>

==Career==
Upon returning to in 1992, he started a [[cost accounting]] programme in Kolkata; he move to fashion happened when in 1994, he took part in the 'Fashion Designer award' of Damania Airlines, held across five Indian Metros cities. He entered the contest from Kolkata, he was chosen the winner. This started his fashion career in Kolkata. Eventually and launched his own brand, ''Aki'', in 1996 and has his first fashion show with "Melange", a designer boutique at [[Opera House, Mumbai]]. Starting with Melange, he gradually started selling in eleven stores across India. In 2000, he participated in Lakme [[India Fashion Week]] and in the following year his entire collection was taken up by [[Selfridges]] (UK). He was appointed the design director at Sheetal Design Studio Mumbai in 2002.<ref name=teh/><ref name=indo/> In 2004, he presented at the Grand Finale of [[India Fashion Week]], a collection themed around the '50s with red and fuchsia being the premier colours.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fruitful FINALE|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/05/03/stories/2004050300980100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050201001016/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/05/03/stories/2004050300980100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 February 2005 |date=3 May 2004 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

Though he had previously designed for Mira Nair's ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]'' in 2005, his big break into Bollywood came with [[Yash Raj Films]]’ ''[[Bunty Aur Babli]]'' in 2005 directed by [[Shaad Ali]], in which he gave a new look to [[Patiala salwar]]s and [[Kurta|kurtis]]. This led to a string of films, which got noticed for clothes designed and styled by him.<ref name=teh/> In the subsequent years as he got busy with his film projects, he gradually steered away from mainstream fashion designing, and seldom appeared in Fashion Weeks, though he planned to re-launch his label, and balance between Fashion Week and film projects.<ref name=dna/>

Over the years, he got acclaim for the looks for [[Amitabh Bachchan]] in ''[[Jhoom Barabar Jhoom]]'' (2007), his second film with Shaad Ali,<ref>{{cite news |title=Dressed to kill |url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/06/07/stories/2007060750880100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216144359/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/06/07/stories/2007060750880100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 December 2013 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=7 June 2007 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> [[Abhishek Bachchan]] and [[John Abraham (actor)|John Abraham]] in ''[[Dostana (2008 film)|Dostana]]'' (2008), [[Kareena Kapoor]]'s look in ''Tashan'' (2008) and later her mismatched look, employing the colour-blocking technique in ''[[Kambakkht Ishq]]'' (2009)<ref>{{cite news |title=Aki Narula's guide to mismatched dressing|url=http://www.livemint.com/2009/07/02203827/Aki-Narula8217s-guide-to-mi.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=2 July 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kambakkht Ishq|url=http://www.livemint.com/2009/07/03193737/Kambakkht-Ishq--The-saving-gr.html |publisher=Mint |date=3 July 2009 }}</ref> and [[Ranbir Kapoor]] in ''[[Bachna Ae Haseeno]]'' (2008)<ref>{{cite news|title=Ranbir simply rocks in Bachna Ae Haseeno |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20080061347&keyword=&subcatg= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720140625/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20080061347&keyword=&subcatg= |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 July 2012 |publisher=[[NDTV]] Movies |date=13 August 2008 }}</ref> and in''[[Rockstar (2011 film)|Rockstar]]'' (2011)<ref name=teh/>

In 2009, sports-lifestyle brand ''[[Puma AG|Puma]]'', which had previously work with Alexander McQueen, Yasuhiro Mihara and Sergio Rossi, signed on Aki to create 'Black Label', a range of apparel, footwear and accessories to hit Puma stores in February 2010. In 2012, he designed the costume for Asin Thottumkal in Housefull 2.<ref name=dna>{{cite news |title=Aki Narula joins Alexander McQueen and Sergio Rossi to design Puma footwear|url=http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2009/jun/120609-Aki-Narula-Fashion-Designer-Footwear-Puma-Alexander-McQueen-Sergio-Rossi-Fashion.htm |publisher=[[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]] |date=12 June 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Designer deal|url=http://www.livemint.com/2010/02/08202546/Designer-deal.html |publisher=Mint |date=8 February 2010 }}</ref>

==Filmography==
* ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Bunty Aur Babli]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Garam Masala (2005 film)|Garam Masala]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Bluffmaster!]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Don - The Chase Begins Again]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Jhoom Barabar Jhoom]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Tashan (film)|Tashan]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Bhoothnath]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Bachna Ae Haseeno]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Dostana (2008 film)|Dostana]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Kambakkht Ishq]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Shortkut]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Kurbaan (2009 film)|Kurbaan]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Paa (film)|Paa]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Housefull (2010 film)|Housefull]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Lamhaa]]'' (2010)
* ''[[I Am (2010 Indian film)|I Am]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Tees Maar Khan (2010 film)|Tees Maar Khan]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Chillar Party]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Rascals (2011 film)|Rascals]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Rockstar (2011 film)|Rockstar]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Agent Vinod (2012 film)|Agent Vinod]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Housefull 2 (2012 film)|Housefull 2]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Highway (2014 Hindi film)|Highway]]'' (2014)

== References ==

<references />

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1859125}}
* [http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrities/filmography/2791/index.html Aki Narula] at [[Bollywood Hungama]]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Narula, Aki}}
[[Category:Indian male fashion designers]]
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Artists from Kolkata]]
[[Category:St. Xavier's College, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Indian costume designers]]
[[Category:Fashion stylists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian designers]]

Aki Narula - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 19:29, 21 April 2021