Modi turns on the style for trip to US

Indian PM will follow liquid diet of lemonade and tea for much of visit

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pulling out all the fashion stops for his upcoming visit to the United States, hiring a top Mumbai designer to create outfits that will sell his vision of a newly confident, aspirational India.

India's politicians have been mocked in the media for their crumpled traditional cotton shirt-and-pajama attire, which serves as an austerity badge in a nation where simple living is prized as a political credo.

But fashion experts say Modi, 64, has taken Indian political dress to a new level with his fastidious style that favors crisp, half-sleeve linen, khaddar or silk shirts and churidar pajamas that he pairs with tailored Nehru jackets.

A former tea boy who rose to the top, Modi has embraced a look of prosperity and power, in line with his message of economic reform, and is credited with demonstrating that Indian men don't have to forego traditional wear to look well-dressed.

"He's selling aspirational India," said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of one the few biographies on the reclusive leader, adding that Modi's affinity for traditional clothing ties into his nationalist image.

Modi's use of color makes him a fashion standout - from canary yellow to lime green to sky-blue and an in-your-face saffron, one of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's colors, aside from elegant cream.

The move to hire Troy Costa, who designs for Bollywood stars, has given rise to speculation that Modi might adopt a more sober suit and tie for his US visit.

But Costa, who defines his label as "focusing on modern masculinity and flattering functionality", is keeping the garment bag firmly in place over what he will design for Modi's barrel-chested frame.

"I'd rather let my product speak than me personally," the 39-year-old said.

In Costa, Modi has chosen a clone of himself - someone from a humble background who pulled himself up by the bootstraps.

"I have no vices - I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't love parties, I try to spend 14 to 15 hours a day working and I thank God I'm doing what I love," Costa said.

Modi's White House welcome will be a remarkable transformation for a man once refused a US visa after being accused of failing to stop 2002 riots by Hindu extremists against minority Muslims when he was chief minister of Gujarat state. Modi has always denied any wrongdoing.

But while he may don snappy attire during the visit, there will still be a clear nod to his strictly observant Hindu and teetotal vegetarian lifestyle.

The trip coincides with the Navratri festival, during which Modi has always observed a nine-day fast. Despite the hectic schedule, he is expected to restrict himself to a liquid diet of lemonade and tea for much of the visit, eschewing the lavish meals that traditionally characterize such trips.

Commentators say Modi is acutely aware of the image he wants to portray - a self-made man who hasn't forgotten his roots.

GQ India editor Che Kurrien said Modi had a "keen eye for what makes him look good".

"It's clear details matter to Mr. Modi, from his designer eyewear, to his watch, to his waistcoat - every part of his image counts," he said.

Once in a while Modi likes to mix Western attire with Indian - sporting a Texas cowboy hat, for instance. But he's best known for his signature half-sleeved shirt known as the Modi Kurta. Men's kurtas are normally long-sleeved.

(China Daily 09/24/2014 page10)