When you think of Ashley Rebello, the image that comes to mind is of couture couture, dazzling red-carpet ensembles and the person who has dressed Salman Khan in some of his most iconic looks. But in her latest project, Yami Gautam-Emraan Hashmi starrer ‘Haq’, Ashley has left all traces of glamor and entered a world rooted in authenticity, emotion and subtlety. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the renowned designer shared how the film demanded a very different palette, and he was up for the challenge.

Ashley Rebello shared that when she was first told that Yami and Emraan would be leading the film, she was confident that they would have their own designers. He was quite surprised when the makers offered him the complete project. Recalling her first meeting with the team, the designer said, “Yami was very impressed with my idea and references. The producer and the director were also very confident that I would pull it off, but I wanted to prove them wrong and do something different. As far as Emraan and Yami are concerned, they were the loveliest; it’s a dream to work with such people.”

That hard work showed in every little detail. The designer explained how every piece of clothing was created from scratch for the film. She said, “I knew that a lot of Muslim women sew their own clothes; no one gets them ready-made. So, every outfit in this film, be it the junior actors, Emraan, Yami, Danish Hussain, Sheeba Chaddha or Vartika Singh, was stitched. Nothing was taken ready-made.”

The designer shared that the level of involvement was not just professional dedication but also deeply personal. Ashley drew inspiration from her family and friends, saying, “I’m totally inspired by my mother. My mother used to wear chiffon sareesI gave Yami’s character a chiffon saree and pearl jewellery. My mother also used to wear similar clothes. And then I remembered that my mother had those Lahariya sarees, so I gave them to Yami. scarf In the same material.”

“And then all my friends, be it Tabu, Sanjeeda Shaikh or Nuzhat, you know, Aamir Khan’s cousin, I have always seen them since childhood, how they conduct themselves.” scarfI will keep telling Yami to wear it in that specific way. She was also very open to feedback and often thanked me for being involved.”

Her love for detail didn’t stop there, Ashley revealed that she painted by hand scarf Made it, added some work and got it Chicken And some pieces have Mukesh embroidery. The challenge made the work exciting for him, but also time-consuming.

“We worked for about six months before the film went on the floors. However, it took a lot of time to wear the dress for the climax shoot, and we went crazy trying to find the right shawl for her. We wanted the right color and material, and when we finally got some options, I was screaming with joy,” the designer said smilingly, adding that the wedding dress also became a topic of discussion on the set. “I said to the director, please take the whole shot, and he laughed, he said we can’t do it just because you want it. But everyone loved the clothes. I remember Emraan even took the costumes home. He also took some bandis (jackets) for his father.”

Ashley’s attention also turned to other characters, as she shared how she designed Saira’s (Vartika Singh) clothes very differently from Yami’s. Arguing that she was only wearing clothes GhararaHe added, “Because she is a little girl and she comes into their lives much later. She had to be a young, beautiful girl who doesn’t know much, and she has that element of surprise in the film. I have worked with Vartika during competitions, and it was great to dress her up.”

For Ashley Rebello, designing for films like ‘Haq’ goes beyond styling; This story has to be told. She said she thinks costumes are a big part of filmmaking. “You have to take this step because it’s not like you’re choosing the clothes, you’re not the stylist. For a film like this, you have to create everything; you have to create everything. You have to recreate the world of the 1970s. We couldn’t have those big bell-bottoms because I remember my father and mother never wore clothes like that. So we had to stick to authenticity, and now, everyone who watches the film mentions that they feel that The characters have come to life.”

The commitment to authenticity went beyond clothing. In many Muslim homes, Ashley said, scarf Not just bought; They were personalized, adorned with delicate lace, crochet or gota work, lovingly added by hand. Keeping with that tradition, every dupatta in ‘Haq’, including the one seen on the poster, the curtains and other embellishments, was handmade.