'Akshay Kumar is the most stylish metrosexual man around'

New Delhi, Aug 29: Designer Rocky S has clothed Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for eight long years and says the actor is the most stylish and metrosexual man around. "I have worked with Akshay for eight years. I really respect him for the way he has groomed himself. He has become one of the biggest metrosexual stars, most stylish fashion icon and he is so successful that I am proud of him. Just look from where he has come and where he has reached," Rocky told reporters. However, he is no longer designing for Akshay. "I started designing for Akshay in 1992. But I stopped working with him in 2000 because I had to move on. Also, both of us needed to take a break from each other," he added. Unlike most other Indian designers who started their career by showcasing their collections at fashion shows, Rocky started his stint designing for Bollywood stars. "I started 16 years back. At that time the only opportunity I got was in Bollywood. I think it was good for me as it has created awareness about my brand. I have met a lot of actors who want to wear clothes designed by me." Currently Rocky`s clientele includes big names like John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Shilpa Shetty. Rocky claimed: "The people I dress up are the best dressed. They are really great with clothes. They have a great body to carry off anything and they have a good style of their own." Talking about the likings of his female clients, he added: "Shilpa likes deeper and rich Indian colours. She likes to wear emerald, she loves red and it really suits her. Even Bipasha likes red. Katrina likes pastel and lighter shades." His most recent project was the hit flick "Singh Is Kinng". He dressed Katrina in the film and is also working with her in "Yuvraj". Apart from that he has designed Bipasha`s clothes for "Pankh" and Kangana Ranaut`s for "Raaz - The Mystery Continues". Rocky says designing for the actors is challenging. "It is fun to work with actors and also challenging to make them look different every time. It is also a challenge for them to get into a character every time with different clothes and looks. A lot of hard work is required in Bollywood." On an average, Rocky takes up almost four projects in a year. The Mumbai-based designer entered mainstream fashion around 1997 to cater to the general public. He introduced the collection under his label Rocky S. "When I started, fashion was not even taking off in a very big manner and I think it was after four to five years that I felt the need to do creative work for myself. That`s when I started doing clothes that were more wearable and saleable. "I came at the right time for mainstream fashion. Luckily, I have kept a very good balance between Bollywood and mainstream fashion till now," he said. He is gearing up to participate in the upcoming Spring-Summer edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) to be held in the capital Oct 15-19. IANS