Mumbai's fashion soul sold to Bollywood

In the era of supersonic multi-tasking, just making a multi-million dollar Bollywood movie isn't enough. Once Karan Johar conquered that turf, the limelight-loving Bollywood filmmaker became host of his own TV chat show and now fancies himself a bit of a haberdasher, too.

After years of spinning box office gold by directing, producing and styling for superstar actor, buddy and semi-muse Shah Rukh Khan, Johar made his official foray into fashion at the recently concluded HDIL India Couture Week in Mumbai -- the annual "fashion" event at which designs are frequently upstaged by fabulous front rows and celebrity showstoppers on the ramp.

As expected, Johar’s fashion debut became an all-out Bollywood affair.

In collaboration with Delhi bridal couturier Varun Bahl, Johar orchestrated couture week’s grand finale on October 16 as a befitting end to the week-long Bollywood fashion fiesta, with Shah Rukh Khan and wife Gauri as his superstar models. Barring the Bachchans, it doesn't get bigger than this for Bollywood.

Still sexy at 40, Gauri wore a sinuous white shirt with a super-short sequined skirt. She was the only female among a large group of men in shiny black and gunmetal gray with hints of red leather. Another series of men marched out in lean pants, relaxed sherwanis, leather jackets and zippered, quilted, studded, straightforward and distressed textures.

Hooting from the front rows was "absolutely everyone": Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta, Susanne and Hrithik Roshan, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, even Yash Chopra.

Johar hosted a special variety show backstage, Kouture with Karan, which ran on late night TV. Behind the scenes he and co-designer Bahl described their collection as simple, sophisticated and wearable, with rock-star details.

On the TV show Shah Rukh Khan cheekily claimed that the Johar/Bahl alliance was so fabulous that he finally felt “one with himself.” But young actress Priyanka Chopra said it best: “Karan can do whatever the hell he wants."