I prefer men looking macho, not metrosexual: Raghavendra Rathore

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Designer Raghavendra Rathore, known for the royal and traditional ensembles he creates, says he prefers men looking macho and not metrosexual, thanks to his traditional Rajasthani upbringing.

'We have been watching men in hues of pinks and lemons for a long time now. I feel this is the right time to get the macho look back and get rid of this metrosexual image,' Rathore told IANS in an interview.

'Blame it on my traditional upbringing and my ideologies that I have seen only royally dressed men around me. Also, as for me, a man should look like a man - elegant, smart and handsome,' he said.

The designer is now all set to display his spring/summer collection at the inaugural Delhi Fashion Week (DFW) Oct 14-18. His line will be cheaper this time due to the economic crisis in the US.

'Due to the pull down in the US economy, the trends of my line have originated from landscapes of retail. The collection will not pinch the pocket of buyers,' Rathore said.

Mixing old-fashioned workmanship with modern aplomb, the designer finds newer, subtler ways to evoke the spirit of a bygone age with a fresher approach.

This time too, the collection has an Indian feel to it, but with a contemporary twist. The colour palette has dark shades for men and soft and subtle prints for women.

'This line will be completely devoid of skirts and pants - it's all about India, so there will be achkans, sherwanis, bandhgalas and different versions of waistcoats,' Rathore explained.

Rathore has had a brush with Bollywood as well. He had designed the costumes for Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard' that were appreciated for their elegance and royal look.

'I believe that the costumes were in sync with the movie and my designing skills and costumes turned out really well,' he said.

Based in Rajasthan and hailing from the erstwhile royal clan of Jodhpur, Rathore launched his own label 'Rathore Jodhpur' in 1994. Trained in New York at the Parsons School of Design, he worked at DKNY and at the Oscar de la Renta before launching his own label.