/ Music Gets A Makeover : Desifying R&B Singer, Cassie

by Anokhi Admin

Music Gets A Makeover : Desifying R&B Singer, Cassie

Jul 29, 2013

Desi Hits! gives the R&B star a cultural groove in Alia Khan couture

Western celebrities are no strangers to South Asian fashion, with supermodel Naomi Campbell and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls wearing Indian garb. Now, Desi Hits! has brought another East-West crossover with fashion designer Alia Khan desifying 23-year-old Cassie, singer of the hit single, “Me & U.” The sexy and soft-spoken R&B singer, who is releasing a new album under Sean “Diddy” Combs’ record label, was transformed into a Bollywood beauty for a shoot in New York City.

“It’s important for Desi Hits! to find innovative ways to get our heritage out there and there is nothing like a western celebrity to do that!” says Anjula Acharia-Bath, the CEO and co-founder of Desi Hits! “When Cassie’s label, Atlantic Records suggested that we work with Cassie, we just had to do something fashion or beauty related. I knew straight away that she would look gorgeous in our clothes.”

Acharia-Bath roped in top designer, Alia Khan, whose designs have been showcased at an ANOKHI fashion show in NYC. “I was floored by the range and diversity of Alia’s collection, so when the opportunity with Cassie came along, it was truly the perfect pairing,” says Ancharia-Bath.

“I was game for anything, all the clothes and fabrics, and just had a great time on the shoot,” Cassie tells us of her experience on set.

“That’s what I wanted to see on Cassie. The criterion was an indo-western look that would work well on a red carpet and on stage,” says Khan.

Khan gave Cassie three distinct looks. First was a chic black signature handkerchief skirt with a hand-embroidered hem, and a sparkling Swarovski crystal belt complimented with huge rhinestone earrings. Next, Cassie was transformed into a red carpet diva with an imported lurex net hand-embroidered gold lengha skirt drenched with Austrian crystals, Swarovski crystals and Japanese sequins, and a glamorous pure silk halter top. Cassie’s final look was an ultra sexy pure silk georgette cut-out skirt with jewel embroidered belt and a matching top with strings of Swarovski and Austrian crystals looped around the neckline.

“Cassie was very sweet and easy to work with and she looked stunning in my designs to boot,” shares Khan. Although Cassie is part Filipino, African American, West Indian and Mexican, Khan believes she successfully pulls off the South Asian look because the designs compliment Cassie’s persona.

“There is a real future for designers like Alia who find inspiration in the east and effortlessly blend that style with a western sensibility,” says Acharia-Bath.

“Cassie was just fearless and open – she wanted to try everything and really got involved. Given her golden skin, long locks and perfect figure, she looked spectacular in all of it. I personally loved her in the gold lengha.”

“Working with Alia and Cassie builds on my dream of bringing South Asian fashion to the west in a way that it’s palatable and has the ability to really crossover. It’s a way of making our desi culture more accessible to a wider audience,” continues Acharia-Bath. “The most touching part for me was when Desi Hits! received an email from a happy South Asian father living in Britain, saying that his daughter never really liked Indian clothes until she saw her pop idol wearing a them and wanted them for herself."

_{BY: TAMARA BALUJA / PUBLISHED: FALL 2009 ISSUE

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF DESIHITS! AND IAN MEYER)}