It’s important to look beyond men’s personal accomplishments and see their fashion sense as well as the manner in which they are making informed choices and respecting the changing dynamics of women in the society. By Team Viva
Whether it is style, fashion, fitness, travel, technology or personal space, men have more often than not taken a lead and in the bargain evolved manifold. Or so believes Karan Bhardwaj, co-founder of the India Men Show.
He pointed out that despite that there hasn’t been a portal or space which talks about how men’s lifestyle and personality has evolved over the years. The show was conceptualised keeping this aspect about technology, food, travel, way of living, fashion, luxury, fitness, entertainment and lifestyle in mind. Karan said, “It was to provide some direction to the lifestyle industry and give them a new subject to work on. The show not just looked at how their personal choices have changed with time, but also defined the ‘man of substance,’ who has evolved by accepting the current scenario and change in the society.”
With so many campaigns against the harassment and injustice towards women coming to the fore, the show questioned who after all is a “man of substance?” He added, “Even if the man is successful in his endeavours, he needs to be much more accepting of the changing roles and desires of women too. They need to be ‘clean’ enough to talk about society as whole. Hence, we shortlisted men from every field like fashion, technology, hospitality, fitness and more, who aren’t controversial or haven’t been charged of any accusations under the #MeToo campaign and respect humanity and feminism. Of course, they have contributed to the society in a great way.”
Present at a panel discussion, talking about the changing trends in men’s lifestyle in India, FDCI president Sunil Sethi said that a man shouldn’t try to be just successful, rather be of value, quoting Albert Einstein. “If you are a man of value and ethics, you’re a man of substance,” he said, adding that “Achievers are not necessarily defined by clothes.”
Talking about how the fashion sense in men has evolved, Sethi said that men haven’t been adventurous in the past. However, today, they don’t just wear “smart suits, blacks and whites, but change colours to look attractive. They have a style of their own. Look at how they go to the gym and exercise religiously, their accessories and clothes have matching colours, making them appear like they do have a fashion sense.”
Giving the example of Bollywood’s King, Sethi said, “I recently attended an event, where Gauri Khan, wife of Shah Rukh Khan, told me that her husband would take two to three hours to get ready for an event. He pays attention to details like matching right coloured-tie with his shoes and suits. This sensibility has come with time in today’s men.”
With changing roles of both men and women today, the former’s fashion choices have transformed as well. Men’s fashion has evolved manifold whether it is formal suits, ties and pants or informal clothing and tracksuits.
From the fitness industry, “there can be no one better than Sangram Singh to talk about who a man of substance is?,” said Karan.
“Nothing is more fashionable than being fit. No matter what you wear or buy, the most important thing should be to keep yourself fit and healthy. When you are fit, your confidence grows by leaps and bounds,” said Sangram at the panel. He recalls that there have been days when he was short on resources. “I didn’t have good clothes. Today, I have reached this level because I was mentally tough. Discipline and moral values are important to succeed in life,” said he.
The panel also saw Rajiv Makhni, the tech guru, who talked about how personal looks mattered in today’s social media world. “I do make-up. I tell my children that they have a father who does indulge in make-up to enhance looks. So that they can brag about it rather than hide it. I think it is a great thing. For me, a ‘man of substance’ means the one who is unique and solid, learns through his life and teaches back.” He added that in an age of social media, good looks matter a lot. “Instagram is the proof. There, you would realise people who feature in top trends are actually the ones who take care of their looks. So in today’s time, it gives you instant attention,” said Rajiv.
Karan added that not just looks or personal achievements, “it’s about today’s men, who are aware of their actions and are making informed choices towards the society and their evolution. It’s indeed a brilliant shift and the show celebrated just that. They are not just investing smartly but also creating opportunities through multiple start-ups.”
