Rahul Khanna is what most women want their husbands to be like. His new fashion collaboration makes it possible

The dapper actor teamed up with Chokore for a capsule collection of pocket squares, bow-ties and neckties

Raise your hand if you’ve had a crush on Rahul Khanna since his MTV VJ days from the late 90s. Mr. Khanna (as his Instagram handle goes by), who was last seen in Deepa Mehta’s dystopian Netflix series called Leila (2019), has always been in the public eye, thanks to his dapper style and his shirtless pictures on Instagram. While the actor may know a thing or two about fashion—being touted as one of the best dressed men in the country will do that, it’s surprising that he hasn’t already stepped into the fashion industry—well, until now.

Taking his first step into the world of fashion, Khanna joined hands with Chokore–an Indian premium brand that specialises in accessories to curate a collection of pocket squares, neckties and bow ties. Titled as RKXC, the genesis of this collection goes back to 2019. “It seemed like a fun idea when we started discussing it, because I’d get to do something different and creative,” says Khanna. And then the pandemic hit. “We had to step back and use that time to develop the products and discuss what the launch date could potentially be. And now it’s finally out,” he shares.

The curated collection with Chokore is a mix of classic investment pieces that are a must-have in every closet, such as neckties and self-tie bow-ties which are hand-crafted in Italy, and pocket squares which are made in India using locally sourced eri silk and fine linen.

We caught up with the actor while he was in sunny Los Angeles to share more details about his debut collaboration, his classic, effortless style and his fashion influences.

What made you take up this collaboration as your first step into the world of fashion?

With this collaboration, I’ve helped conceptualise the collection along with the designers who contributed with their technical expertise, since I don’t have the skillset. As far as stepping into the style space as an entrepreneur goes, it's just never happened. I've always thought it would be something fun to do and I've discussed the idea with a few other people in the past. But nothing fruitful has ever come out of it. I guess this collaboration is the one that was meant for me to start off with in the style space. We've only just launched less than a week ago, so let's see how this goes. It's only accessories at this point, but yes, of course, I'd be very much interested in expanding on that and doing other things within the fashion space.

‘Classic’ is how we’d describe your style. But how would you describe your personal style?

‘Classic’ and ‘simple’ are definitely the words I would use. I like elegance in the mathematical sense, like there shouldn't be anything extra in what I’m wearing as I don't like anything too fussy. I like things that never go out of style—my closet is full of pieces that I’ve had for several years and have enjoyed wearing them over and over again. Those pieces aren’t something I’d get rid of. Colour is something that I don’t particularly enjoy, other than as accessories accents. That’s basically how I approach fashion, but that doesn’t mean that I’m the only right person. Everyone is unique, and everyone's style should reflect their own personality. I enjoy seeing people who have tastes that are very different from mine, who express themselves with their fashion choices and admire those who are true to themselves and their style.

What can we find in your closet?

I live mostly in T-shirts and have a great many of them in my closet. You’ll also find a fair amount of navy suits, white buttoned-down and pinstriped shirts—the classics. These days I'm into unstructured suits, so I have quite a few of those. And of course, lots of pocket squares and classic ties.

Any advice for those struggling to find their style?

I am no way qualified to give any kind of style advice, but if you held a gun to my head then I would just say be yourself. Get to know yourself, what brings you joy and what makes you feel good. If you put something on and it makes you feel good then that’s the right piece of clothing for you.

What’s next in store for you?

I have a film coming up called Lost, which is directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. It’s currently at the post-production stage, so hopefully it will be out soon this year.

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