Style and fashion mean different things to Sobhita Dhulipala. “It’s easy to appear fashionable but style has little to do with fashion. There might be people who might not be considered conventionally fashionable, but there’s something indescribable about them that speaks to you,” says Sobhita Dhulipala.
Given her intuitive approach to fashion, it makes sense that she self-styled her wedding outfits to actor Naga Chaitanya Akkineni. Her South Indian bridal look featured a gold tissue Kanjeevaram sari and a fine handcharkha khadi with a silk zari border by Gaurang Shah. This was paired with maximalist jewellery by Kishandas & Co. including a maathapatti, chaand suraj, mango mala, and choker, all adorned with polki diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
“When I look back (at their wedding) 40 years from now, I want to be able to smile at the way I draped my sari or know why I picked a certain piece of jewellery,” says Sobhita Dhulipala, who admits to being most comfortable in traditional wear. In fact, the dress code for her last birthday, celebrated in Amsterdam, was ‘strictly sari’, says Akkineni. “And if you didn’t follow it, you had to pay up.”
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When it comes to her personal style, she's often spotted letting her skin breathe and her natural tresses set free in a basic white muscle tee paired with gingham checks and silver cuffs or a Hyderabadi khada dupatta worn as an ode to her heritage. “Even when I am off-duty, I’ll make sure to add some hipster-esque element to my look as a way to make it resemble my culture. I’ve realised this has become a constant. If someone were to look at me, I want to be seen for my entirety—who I am, where I come from, what my journey is,” says Dhulipala. Her wardrobe is built around staples like dupattas and saris that can be worn endlessly and “feel malleable with time”.
Dovetailing her love for ethnic silhouettes with an innate eye for detail feels entirely second nature. “I have immense appreciation and devotion for something done tastefully and purposefully,” Dhulipala confesses referring to her pageantry days when she first explored and felt enamoured by the world of fashion. “I don’t want to succumb to the endless cycle of constantly buying new things. To own with intention—to keep and repeat—is something I’ll always practice and love,” she signs off.
Also read:
Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya Akkineni’s home life is not what you’d expect
Sobhita Dhulipala's engagement sari by Manish Malhotra is made from Uppada silk
