Karan Johar’s job profile is as varied as they come for anyone who is a visual interpretation genius. Amongst his many job titles in a career spanning nearly three decades he lists aspiring actor, exceptional director, smash hit producer, designer muse and path-breaking talk show host. With his impressive body of work on all fronts, Karan Johar has single handedly transformed the space for creative work in Bollywood. Proving that with talent, drive and hard-work there are no boundaries to what can be achieved and it doesn’t necessarily have to conform to one medium or profession.

As a one time aspiring actor it’s to be expected that Karan Johar has a certain interest in fashion and style. Since most actors are required to be narcissistic about their appearance and he started his career at a time when stylists were not a basic requirement in an actor’s entourage. Karan Johar had to make sartorial statements that were conceptualised and executed by him alone. Things might have changed ever so slightly with his directorial debut but with his penchant for creating glamourous cinematic experiences, Karan was heavily involved in the overall look of all of his characters.

Bringing to life mentor Yash Chopra’s brand of exceptionally aspirational celluloid dramas with his own spin, Karan Johar managed to create his own signature style that was inimitable. Many would agree that the larger than life characters portrayed in his movies coupled with an expert understanding of how to wield the wow factor of luxe styling made Karan Johar a pioneer for modern Indian cinema. He understood the pulse of young Indians who wanted to break away from the traditions of their ancestors with their appearance while also being fiercely Indian in their own identity. Winning over not only the growing urban audience within India but also opening up the previously untapped market of NRIs (non-resident Indians).

Through this process of constantly creating visual grandeur it would seem very natural that Karan Johar would pick up a thing or two about dressing himself. Evolving like a style chameleon with every successive milestone, he kept up with the latest trends and didn’t shy away from sporting his most impressive threads at every opportunity.

Starting from 2011 until 2014, Karan Johar’s wardrobe featured a lot of formal separates in dark colours and bulky fabrics. He favoured layered suits in lots of polyblends and velvet possibly to hide his heavier frame at the time.

Karan Johar’s Primarily Western Formal Looks From 2011 to 2014

Sometime in 2014 and up to 2016 Karan started experimenting with different colours, fabrics and textures in his wardrobe. The moody colours, thick fabrics and basic silhouettes gave way to cheery hues, flowing materials, metallic accents and more ethnic silhouettes. Karan’s dressing during this time was very in-tune with the emergence of the metrosexual Indian man who wasn’t afraid of colours like pink and was willing bring in a touch of ethnic dressing to his otherwise western outings.

Karan Johar’s More Experimental Looks From 2014 to 2016

The most notable change in Karan’s 2017 style was his full-blown love affair with colour. Gone were the tiny pops of bright shades and safe pastel pieces. He was unabashedly dressing in a red trench coat one day and technicolour printed bomber jackets the next. His ethnic and formal game also went up a few notches with more fitted and refined silhouettes.

Karan Johar Embracing Colour & Fitted Silhouettes In 2017

Karan blossomed into a total male glamazon by 2018 as he transformed his body and his dressing with it. As he shed the extra kilos he also shed his inhibitions of what was considered too extra for Indian men. He started investing in statement pieces that put him firmly on the radar of style watchers everywhere. Quirky jackets in bold colours paired with luxe accessories like shoes and man bags became his go-to style.

Karan Johar’s Very On Trend Style Statements In 2018

By the time 2019 rolled around, Karan Johar is giving top stars stiff competition on the best-dressed lists. His love for kitschy athleisure ensembles was extremely obvious with his several airport looks. But he also expertly combined athleisure with luxe labels for other occasions. A trend that is extremely apparent in the West and has also been coined Calabasas Cool by industry watchers. This blend of basic dressing fused with certain key ultra-luxe accessories have made Karan Johar the ultimate in Indian male dressing that could easily rival any Kardashian on their best day.

Karan Johar’s Athleisure Airport Looks In 2019

Karan Johar’s Calabasas Cool Outfits In 2019

Sources: Vogue.in