From the Bachchans to the Ambanis: Decoding the style gene passed on from mothers to daughters

When one thinks of chic moms and daughters, the first striking duo that hits the mind is of supermodel Cindy Crawford and her lookalike daughter Kaia Jordan Gerber. The uber-chic Georgia May Jagger and her mom Jerry Hall are in a league of their own. 

The Chanel-wearing Anna Wintour’s (American Vogue editor) daughter Bee Shaffer’s outfit picks (she recently wore a statement-making Alexander McQueen gown at the Met Gala) go to prove that style is definitely in the genes. Here’s looking at mothers and daughters, who don’t just share closets but also ideologies and influences.

Dimple Kapadia, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna

Dimple’s sixth-sense understanding of style has been well chronicled umpteen times. Usually partial to ornate and timeless Abu Sandeep creations, the style maven has also shown a penchant for younger designers like Payal Khandwala. The daughters — though they have their own individual sense of style — remind a lot of their mother’s inherent panache in their dressing. Twinkle Khanna always manages to stir a pap frenzy whenever she steps out in Abu Sandeep. Otherwise, she’s been the unrivalled pin-up girl for easy chic — from BCBG day dresses to DvF chain link concoctions to ZARA cutwork numbers. The best-selling author makes a beautiful transition from being a couture junkie to a street style pro. Rinke, too, always manages to cut an elegant figure in a striking Abu Sandeep ensembles. The relatively low-key homemaker is known to rock casual chic separates, too.

Mana and Athiya Shetty  

Athiya Shetty has become fashion’s favourite child over the last one year. What makes her such an interesting fashion muse is the fact that the style-savvy girl has promoted a lot of Indian designers and home-bred Indian labels unlike her contemporaries who favour international luxury brands. At designer Masaba Gupta’s wedding reception, the ingenue was seen sizzling in a Rohit Bal ensemble, at the Ambani soiree, which she attended with dad Sunil, she wore a Monisha Jaising chikankari lehenga and an embellished blouse set. 

In the past, too, she’s worn labels like Sukriti and Aakriti, Anju Modi and Sanjay Garg. Her liking for Indian labels is inherited from mom Mana?

 The young girl borrows things from her mom’s closet and her childhood artworks grace the walls of her mom’s office walls reflect that connection. Mana shares, “Now she’s evolving. You could be wearing torn jeans and a T-shirt but make it work by adding beautiful silver jewellery. You just need to know — how to put it together. I think, over the years, she’s believed — ‘less is definitely more’. And simple speaks volume. You don’t have to be OTT all the time,” she says.

Neena Gupta and Masaba Mantena

“Mom always had a very good eye. On her travels, she’d pick up very distinctive clothes and then rework them and make them completely her own. Once she got a blouse from Bhopal and then cut it and wore it as a shrug. Having seen her style experimentation over the years, I imbibed that mix and match, patch-worked aesthetic in my design language. She’d wear and cherish saris with so much love and respect like they were heirloom jewellery pieces. Back in the day, when she was hosting the TV show, Kamzor Kadi Kaun, she’d sit with the designer and brainstorm over the looks. She’d never wear the basic black but choose it in different tones and textures and always accent it with a metallic brooch,” says designer Masaba. 

Neena always gives Masaba her frank feedback like a complete outsider, which is a far cry from what an indulgent mother would give to her daughter. “Her critique is always brutal and this season before the fashion week, she told me, ‘you better up your game and you need to stand out’,” Masaba adds. 

Neena has also embraced younger designers like Bodice, Love Birds and Kallol Datta. “She genuinely appreciates individual style and never wants to look like everybody else,” says Mantena.

Jaya Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan Nanda

Jaya Bachchan’s penchant for Abu Sandeep and Nachiket Barve saris is well-known. Her deep understanding of textiles and keen eye for embellishments, makes her ahead of the sari brigade on the style radar. Over the years, daughter Shweta Nanda too has emerged to be a refreshing eclectic dresser — from sporting military style separates at the airport to pairing her Abu Sandeep top with a pair of metallic Isabel Marant pants, there’s a newness about the way she puts together looks. In her stylistically alluring journey, the After Hrs columnist has also flirted with labels like Chinti and Parker, Malene Birger, Self Portrait and Tibi.

Indu, Nandita and Anu Mahtani

Designer Nandita Mahtani says, “I’m 100 per cent influenced by mom’s style. You always want to fully emulate your mom. Mom, Anu and I have very individual styles. Even though we have the same taste but we have very different looks. Comfort is key for all of us. We all are obsessed with shoes, however, unfortunately my shoe size isn’t the same as theirs. But, we do share clothes and raid each other’s closets.”

Nita and Isha Ambani

From a classic, sharply-tailored pantsuit to an Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla sari, Nita has emerged to be one of the impeccably dressed women on the social scene over the years. She attends international conferences and graces front row at the fashion weeks without skipping a style beat. Daughter Isha too has developed her own sense of style and her clothing picks suggest that she seems heavily inspired by her mom’s closet.

Rita, Aneesa & Nadine Dhody

Aneesa Dhody, Founder, Creative Co talks about her mom Rita Dhody’s (who’s an international fashion buyer) style influence on her. “Mom, Nadine and I share a classic outlook and believe in investing timeless pieces, which can be worn year after year. The sensibility of elegant sophistication, ‘less is more’ and subtlety lies at the core of our world canvas. Even when it comes to jewellery and watches, our tastes are similar. I borrow things from her closet all the time and never give it back. Each piece in my mother’s closet has such a sensibility that you can’t tell whether its 2010 or 2016. We have a penchant for easy to wear chic over anything which is busy or heavily embellished. She gives me feedback all the time. I went to the hospital to see my grandfather in denims and stilettos and my mom suggested, ‘Don’t wear these, I’ll buy you wedges’. She gifted me a beautiful watch on my wedding which is special to me. We’re always sharing things especially accessories.”

Pallavi and Bhairavi Jaikishan

Bhairavi shares the beautiful work life equation she shares with mom Pallavi, “A lot of my inspiration comes from her. I grew up in that atmosphere and she has always been a great influence on me. We both love flowers and share a passion for the good life. Even though we are both quite similar, we also have different points of view too. But we think alike and have similar likes and dislikes. She critiques my work and we both share a very interactive work equation. We depend on each other for critiques. Her personal style has also rubbed off on to me in some way. We both are very simplistic.”

Jamini and Maithili Ahluwalia

The Bungalow 8 owner talks about her mother Jamini known for her unique jewellery pieces, “Both ideologically and sartorially, mom’s been a huge role model. There was a phase when mom would only wear black — very Issey Miyake and Yōji Yamamoto kind of look. She’d wear black kurta with high cuts and white pants — that look has stayed with me. She has never been really concerned by trends yet she was well versed with all the trends. In the 60s and 70s, she lived in Paris and did her own thing. She has been an avid traveller but never dictated by trends. She had a different point of view and I imbibed a larger philosophy from her.”

Bina and Malini Ramani 

Bina Ramani is always known to be a classic dresser — from printed chiffon saris to beachy kaftans to elegant salwar kameezes, she usually likes to accessorise her look with beaded artisanal necklaces and a flower piece in her hair. Daughter Malini’s unique brand of boho aesthetic can be partly credited to her mom’s eclectic style. Malini pioneered the beach wear movement in India paving way for many designers.