Gabriella Demetriades shares her experience as Arjun Rampal’s costume designer

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Gabriella Demetriades has seamlessly transitioned from model and actor to a dynamic force in fashion and entrepreneurship. With her unique style and creativity, she brings a fresh perspective as Gabriella takes on the role of designer for the adrenaline-fueled action film, Crakk, offering a glimpse into her creative process and the challenges encountered while crafting the film’s distinctive look.

Gabriella, known for her premium fashion label Deme, is set to make new strides with her latest creations for boyfriend Arjun Rampal in the action drama starring Vidyut Jamwal, Amy Jackson and Nora Fatehi. This film chronicles the journey of a man from the slums of Mumbai to the world of underground extreme sports.

Talking about Arjun’s look in the film, she says, “It’s an extreme sports film, high-octane, and it’s a very cool world that has been created. And Arjun’s character is very strong within this world. His looks needed to reflect someone who was super comfortable with his body and very powerful without ever being over-the-top. I aimed for a commanding yet understated aesthetic, echoing Arjun’s personal style. We wanted his attire to exude power while maintaining a sense of effortless coolness. Another aspect that we had to consider while designing his outfits was that it’s an action film, so he will be doing the most insane stunts and action. Therefore, his clothes also needed to be a statement and slick, while allowing him to move.”

Sharing about the process of designing costumes for an action film, Gabriella says, “Having extremely beautiful looks made and then cutting holes in them feels like sacrilege, but you have to do what you have to do for a harness. A lot of the garments were one-off vintage finds that I searched for all over Europe, so duplicating them was hard, but we managed. Having your own production unit really helps when doing wardrobe, and I think the team has fun when we get to do costumes. I also love sourcing and finding one-of-a-kind pieces.”

Ensuring that the costumes resonated with the audience and translated effectively on-screen was another key focus for he and she adds, “I love playing with texture and layers, and using monochrome colors but with different fabrics and elements to create depth and warmth. My worst fear is for an outfit to look like a costume: it shouldn’t be an outfit. I like things that have character and look like they belong to the person wearing them. Aging fabrics and manipulating them is very important for me. Also, making sure the actor loves what they are wearing and is comfortable makes a big difference in it translating well.”

Talking about collaborating with the film’s director, Aditya Datt, Gabriella says, “Aditya was deeply involved in the creative process. He has such a strong vision and is so hands-on, down to the beanie and the socks. We had many creative meetings about the looks, and he was present at all the fittings. In fact, Aditya really provided great inputs about the wardrobe and Arjun’s look, and it was a lot of fun working with him.”

On the work front, Gabriella is the dynamic force behind Deme, a luxury brand that has been rewriting the rules of elegance and sensuality since its inception in 2012. No stranger to the world of high fashion, she leveraged her modeling career to set a new standard, establishing Deme as a beacon of audacious style in the premium Western wear landscape. She has also recently forayed into Indian wear with collaboration with Kalki and into accessories in collaboration with Mirragio.