For more than three decades, noted designer Ashley Rebello has been one of Bollywood’s most respected and instinctive design forces. Ashley is one stylist who doesn’t just dress actors but shapes cinematic memory through his clothes.
His work has travelled across runways, ad films, magazine covers, and some of the most recognisable characters in modern Hindi cinema. Yet few collaborations have been as defining, or as culturally influential, as his long-standing creative partnership with Bollywood's bhaijaan Salman Khan.
From the rugged checks of Salman Khan in 2009's superhit Wanted to the rooted simplicity of Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 2015 and the multi-era journey of Bharat, Ashley Rebello has crafted looks that audiences remember instantly, often becoming an integral part of Bollywood pop culture.
In this exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Ashley Rebello revisits his humble beginnings, the influence his mother had on his aesthetic and the trust Salman Khan places in him.
Ashley also touched upon the detailed research that shaped the nostalgic world of his recently released work Haq, which has Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam as leads. Ashley also said that since in ads there is limited time frame it is movies that actually help him get more creative satisfaction.
In his own words, Haq required detailed study of clothes as it was the story set in the 1970s and it was the story of Shah Bano.
Despite his stature and experience in the film and fashion industry, Ashley says he still approaches every project with the nervous excitement of a newcomer.
Ashley says he is deeply in love with his craft and is the one who 'breathes, eats and sleeps design'.
"I always look at designing as a newcomer. I feel the jitters, I feel the nerves, but I know I have that much amount of knowledge and I know that I have that much amount of backing where anything is concerned as far as designing is concerned because it's all there at the back of my head, the years of experience, almost 30 and more years of experience. So that is something that I would never trade for anything in this world," he told us over phone from Mumbai.
Ashley further said that for him, design is not a profession but a way of life and also revealed that his earliest influence came from home.
"It is my life. I breathe. I eat a sleep design, whether it is on the ramp, whether it is in a film or whether it is in advertising or whether it is for myself. So, I love dressing up and my mother is somebody that I used to really, really look up to, she was somebody that I was the epitome of fashion and style. So I guess I get my DNA from her and that's what makes me who I am today," said Ashley.
Among the many stars he has styled, his creative relationship with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan stands out as one of the most long-running and artistically fulfilling collaborations in Bollywood.
Working with Salman Khan
Ashley Rebello’s work for the most stylish actor of the industry spans some of his biggest commercial films. And while working with Salman Khan, Ashley says the superstar 'doesn't interfere and gives creative freedom.'
"As far as Bodyguard to Kick is concerned, I would say and even to Bharat, where Salman Khan is concerned is concerned. It's always unique to dress him up because he gives you a lot of creative freedom. He does not really interfere in the process and that shows that he is one of the best dressed actors. He also goes according to the character like in Bajangi Bhaijaan - the pathaanis and the simple clothes that really made the character shine out in him. Even with Bharat, he went through the process of different years. So that also worked with that," he stresses while talking highly about Salman Khan and how it makes things easier for the designer.
Ashley Rebello has moved effortlessly between mediums, be it fashion, films or advertising and he says each demands a different rhythm.
The main important thing when designing for a commercial is or a brand campaign is that it is very, short. You have to make that presence felt in that many seconds. It has to have that character and has to come across. While as a film is two hours, two and a half hours, three hours, there's time for you to weave in, for you to experiment and there's time to do all kinds of things that you always wanted to do where you allow the characters to shine, you allow the characters to be who they are, to breathe and feel. So wireless and brand campaigns is very, very short lived. So but the recall value is huge but it's very fast," he elaborates.
His most recent work on film, Haq, starring Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi, demanded an entirely different creative approach. The noted designer
"Haq, I would say is very different from any of the other films that I've done because it's unique in its way. It's in the language of fashion, I would call it beauty. It's just beautiful. I remember Yami told me that said she looks beautiful and would ask 'where are these dupattas from? And I remember wearing them, when I was younger.' So when Yami told me that, I felt wow and that I really hit the nail on the head," he says.
What was different for Haq
Elaborating further about Haq, he said Emraan also loved his look in Haq and wanted to get similar clothes for his dad as well, which Ashley says is indicative that his work is on point and that he has nailed it.
"Even as far as Emraan was concerned, he kept saying that I'd like, something like this to be made for my father and so all the caps. So whatever it is, they all felt like they were a part of that time. They were part of that film. Whether it was Yami Gautam, whether it was Vartika Singh, or any of the other characters, they were all felt like they were in a world when they were in a different time warp. So that's what made me feel really, really good," he further added.
And for Haq, since it was from the 70s era, Ashley says he did a lot of research and also changed his colour palette according to the character's journey in the movie.
Ashley Rebello says he dove deep into research by revisiting old family photographs and decided to avoid stereotypical 70s–80s references.
"Coming to Haq, this project, looks, of course visually it is really intense and theatrically, it's also very intense. Well, the approach for Yami and Emraan Hashmi's costumes, whereas far as Yami's is concerned, I did a lot of research. So I went through that period. I looked at all my mothers, pictures, my cousins pictures, my friends, pictures, their mothers. Emraan Hashmi, I remember, initially when you see 80s and, late 70s, you wear the bell bottoms and it's so dedicated-ish. So, I told Yami that, and Emraan that, just go with what is right at that given point of time.
Emraan and Yami both connected with the authenticity of the styling. "So we gave these soft curls and, the way the makeup was and everything was suggested at every given point of time, whether it was a chiffon dupattas for Yami, whether it was organza and malmal dupattas for Yami, whether it was shawls. It was all created made Emraan's shirts and his trousers were tailored, his jackets and his sherwaanis. Everything was embroidered and nothing was bought off the rack. So, you know, reference points are very, very helpful because they really build a lot and give you a lot of authenticity as far as a very distinct look is concerned," he said.
How is it working with THE STARS
Working with stars, Ashley Rebello says, is always a negotiation between the Star's persona and the character they play.
"The key concentration that is considered for styling stars, sometimes you have to involve their individuality into their personality of the film. So most of them play larger than life characters. So, you dress them up like the way they are because they are larger than life characters. But I like also to dress up, completely when it is the character involved. To some extent, you have to listen to them and know what looks nice and what feels good on them. As well as for sometimes you have to just completely say, no, this is not what, you are supposed to wear," he says.
Talking about his rise in Bollywood, Ashley Rebello candidly said he self-made and a 'non-nepo kid.
"Being a part of this Bollywood industry, I did not have anybody. I am a non-nepo kid. So, I guess I would say I made it on my own. My mother was my huge inspiration back in the 80s because what she wore, I would always try and convert it into fashion. And as far as costume evolution is concerned and Bollywood designs are concerned, in the days gone by, I think in the 80s, it was more than 90s, it was more about, with whatever you had with you, you would make the most of it and make it look fantastic. And people used to just follow blind foldedly. Today, people follow you, but yet they have their own opinions because there's nothing different," he concludes.
Over the years, Ashley Rebello has built a legacy which is defined by instinct, precision and an unwavering commitment to character-driven design.
From crafting Salman Khan’s unforgettable looks in films like Wanted, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kick, Bodyguard and Bharat to creating the elegantly textured world of Haq, his work continues to shape how audiences remember cinema’s most iconic moments.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
