Akshay Kumar Forays into Fashion With Athleisure Wear Brand; Says ‘Want to Help Others Write Their Fashion Story’

Akshay Kumar or should we say ‘Athleisure Kumar’, Bollywood’s favourite action hero’s style quotient has always been about ‘comfort over everything’. Be it his unconventional way of styling his track pants or carrying off hoodies like a boss, Akshay’s fashion game has been a perfect amalgamation of cool and comfortable styles.

For Akshay fashion is when he gets to be himself- comfortable in his own skin and confident in what he wears. And to ensure that everyone feels the same, Akshay Kumar is launching a redefined athleisure wear brand Force IX. Ahead of the launch, Akshay Kumar spoke to News18 about foraying into the world of fashion, the future of athleisure wear in India, the reason behind his unique way of wearing track pants and why he will always love his Bollywood fashion journey.

Excerpts from the interview:

Your acting prowess makes you one of Bollywood’s OG superstars, what inspired you to invest in the world of fashion?

This is something that I’ve wanted to do for seven years now. On two occasions I was even close to launching my own line but somehow things didn’t work out. And now here we are talking about the Force IX launch so I guess third times a charm. Things have a way of working themselves out when they are meant to be. It is much more than just a clothing brand for me, there is also a sense of emotion attached to it hence we’re calling it Force IX – Engineered with Emotion.

I personally love to wear athleisure clothing because for me comfort tops over everything and it’s always on my shopping list. So it got me thinking we have so much talent in our country, great factories and fabrics are available here. Hence I decided to foray into the world of fashion with Force IX, a brand that offers a range of athleisure wear and much more, totally made in India.

Your style has always been comfortably chic. Also, you have a unique way of wearing your joggers/track pants. What is the inspiration behind the styling?

It’s a parkour thing…when one needs to run up a wall or jump off a building you kind of need to hitch your pants in order to climb. So I started pulling up the right side of my tracks and if I were to be honest it helped cool off the heat a little as well. (smiles). And eventually it became a habit of wearing my tracks/joggers in that fashion on a day to day basis which got caught by the media and became a style statement. I’ve seen fans and stuntmen doing it near and far and it always makes me smile. For me the best form of flattery is mimicry.

From boutiques, multi-designer stores to online luxury shopping, has the business of fashion evolved over the years? According to you, what’s the future of athleisure wear in India?

I feel with the new age and internet access, fashion has evolved in India and is ever evolving. People are more about wearing comfortable clothing which also looks cool at the same time.

Athleisure is all about being comfortable yet cool and chic, this trend is here to stay for a while and I see it growing. Track pants and suits have become a luxury now and that’s what I want to offer through Force IX, luxury in terms of style, design, fabric but at affordable prices, after all style is for everyone.

What are you most comfortable in, when you don’t have to wear what your stylist suggests?

I love my Tracks and Hoodies, they’re my all time go-to comfort clothing.

What’s your take on the modern Indian men’s fashion sensibilities and how much does Bollywood influence it?

I feel men’s fashion or fashion in general has evolved a lot now and it’s growing and with access to social media and the internet, keeping up with trends is becoming easy and quick. Bollywood is famous for making and breaking trends, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we need more mirrors in our vanity vans.

Fashion has evolved tremendously during my career, I’ve worn some things I loved to bits back in the day but wouldn’t dream of putting on now. That’s what’s so great about fashion, is its power to tell a decade from one to the other, to make us laugh at ourselves, to make us try new things. I’ve loved my fashion journey, good, bad and the ugly, it’s all part of our story, now I want to help others write their fashion story.

Style File with Akshay Kumar:

1. What’s Akshay Kumar’s go-to fashion mantra:Comfort over everything.
2. Selfie in PJs or Selfie in a Suit? Which would you prefer?Selfiee in theatres on 24th February,2023.
3. Akshay as Action Hero or Akshay as Athleisure Hero?Akshay Kumar doing action in athleisure
4. Do you believe in trends of classic styles?Of course, white shirt with blue denims is a no-brainer, a well-fitted suit and I also love black on black look.
5. Best fashion advice you have been given till date.Make sure whatever you wear, it fits perfectly. That is half the battle won. Tailored clothing, besides looking polished, also makes you look and feel comfortable

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