Indian Express – 21st Feb 2018
BENGALURU: Politics is not an easy game, and now you need to play it well-dressed and groomed. Image consultants in the city say that they are getting leaders and workers approaching them for tips and classes on what to wear and how to carry themselves.Makeovers are mostly requested by people in their early forties and into their fifties, and the aim is usually to appeal to a younger voter group. The consultancies charge anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 6 lakhs, depending on the services, says Renju Joseph, who runs the high-end Ace Infiniti.
“I get roughly about three queries a week, especially now that this is election time,” he says. They approach consultancies as individuals and are not usually sent in by the parties.Another consultant Shreya Dhingra says that she has been working with politicians for many years. She says that they are mostly looking for ways to connect with their target audience with the right body language. This includes body language, voice and vocal projection. “A senior politician approached us recently because he wanted to reach out to a younger audience through his body behaviour”.
Babu Kumar, who is a BJP worker in CV Raman Nagar, is in his early fifties. He says that the biggest learning for him from this image consultant was that he had a poor dressing sense. “I thought I was good,” he says. “Also I thought I had a social-media following until I realised that it’s the same group of people who are engaging with me all the time. These guys changed my perspective”.He believes that dressing well is one of his responsibilities as a leader. “If, as a representative of my constituency, I am shabby, what message am I sending out about my people,” he asks.
Kumar’s receptiveness is a rare thing indeed, especially when it comes to clothes. According to consultant Dhingra, “Their dressing is a statement in itself and they are very sure of the understated look they want to work with. So, one thing they don’t want advice on is their dressing.”Renju says that they steer clear of “making a person look young”. He says that they groom and style them suited to their age, though the consultants do organise events with youthful themes for clients to participate in. “It is not that youngsters only connect to youth,” he says.
A Congress leader, also from CV Raman Nagar, consults Renju. “Best of intentions are lost in transit,” says George Satish, who is a Youth Congress member. He says that he no difference between an image consultant and a communications specialist. “Grooming oneself is also a form of communication,” he says.
(Inputs from Leah Thomas)
What wardrobe for what ward?
Renju Joseph, of Ace Infiniti, says that they analyse a ward’s economic mix before deciding on the dress code. “A ward like Defence Colony can be accessed only with edgy and sharp dressing, since people in the armed forces attach value to turning up well-dressed. On the other hand, right across the road, a ward like Halasuru deals with middle-class and lower middle-class families. Here, people would prefer dressing that resonates with them such as more whiter and crisper clothing. Another interesting behaviour is that economically weaker wards like their representatives flashy. The lower middle-class wards want their representatives flashier and want to look up to them, however the middle class want their representatives to look like them.”
Leaders bunk classes
Shreya Dhingra adds that while there is interest in self-improvement, the political workers are not consistent students. “They are pretty unsure and unclear about what they are looking for. They don’t attend sessions regularly, and this drags on for months”. Therefore, the consultancy has made a conscious effort to take fewer clients from this field. Another consultant Liji Thomas too says that coordinating with a political leader’s team is difficult, since it is difficult to squeeze in classes into their busy schedule.
Better halves are enrolled too
Shreya Dhingra says that few political leaders also come to consultants when they want to their spouses to step into this field. “A few months back, I met a certain politician who wanted to get his wife into the work he does. He wanted us to train her. The younger politicians, especially, want to involve their spouses with the interface like with reaching out to people, making calls, fixing appointments and doing other business-related work. They want their spouses to look better, talk better and connect with people better.”
This Movember, go the distance-Times of India 4 November 2016
This Movember, go the distance with these whacky moustache styles
Mohammed Waseem| TNN | Nov 4, 2016, 12.00 AM IST
It’s November, and that can mean only one thing for men who love facial hair, or love supporting worthy causes, or both — Movember. The annual event, named so by blending the words ‘moustache’ and ‘November’, involves growing moustaches during this month to raise awareness of various cancers and depression in men. The movement had very humble beginnings. Renju Joseph, a Bengaluru-based image designer and lifestyle consultant, says, “The movement started in Australia in 1999 with a group of about 30 people who sported moustaches throughout November to be attached to the cause. Word caught on and eventually, events were organized to raise funds for the cause.”
Since it’s followed all around the world, we give a list of 10 unique but easy-to-maintain moustache styles for men this Movember…A La Souvarov
Named after the Russian General Alexander Suvorov, it is a combination of moustache and sideburns that grow down and then curve up like a candy cane to connect with the moustache. The moustache has two wide wings with a curve into the burns.
Balbo
The style consists of three sections — moustache, chin beard as well as a soul patch under your lower lips, without the moustache and beard touching each other. It’s a classy style that’s very easy to maintain as well.
Chaplin
The Chaplin, or also known as the toothbrush, is a style that has shaved edges, except for three to five centimeters above the centre of the lip, with the sides of the moustache vertical instead of tapered. Adolf Hitler and Charlie Chaplin famously sported it.
Friendly Mutton Chops
A style made famous by American soldier and politician Ambrose Burnside, this style has thick sideburns that extend to the edge of the mouth and connect to a hearty moustache. Pro tip: The bottom line of the sideburns should define the jaw line.
Fu Manchu
The Fu Manchu, named after the fictional character created by Irish author Sax Rohmer who sports a similar style, is grown exclusively from the corners of the upper lip, and hangs down past the clean-shaven mouth and chin area.
Handlebar
One of the most recognizable styles, the Handlebar is a particularly lengthy moustache, which upwardly curve on either side of the face. This style is named so for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle.
Horseshoe
This is a full moustache with vertical extensions grown on the corners of the lips and down the sides of the mouth to the jawline, resembling an upside-down U or a horseshoe. The width of the whiskers vary depending on each person’s preference
Pencil
This is a neatly-clipped, thin moustache that sported a little above the lip, as if it had been drawn using a pencil. A large gap is left between the nose and the moustache.
The Zappa
Named after Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frank Zappa, The Zappa is a full, bushy moustache with edges that droop slightly past the corners of the mouth (but not as much as the Horseshoe) and includes a stout soul patch.
Mohammed Waseem| TNN | Nov 4, 2016, 12.00 AM IST
Nikhil Gowda could use our Services-Indian Express 18th November 2016
By Express News Service | Published: 18th November 2016 10:43 PM
BENGALURU:
Did you know Kim Kardashian adorned the cover of Forbes magazine recently advising readers on how to run business?
In an age where visual and viral streamline profi ts, image consultants can make or break a moviestar, sportsperson or a politician. City Express catches up with image consultant Renju Joseph from AceInfiniti.club on how glamorous and hectic the profession is.
What is your academic and professional background?
I am a certified Image Designer, with a degree in arts.
Who are your clients?
Majority of my clientele are HNI’s from Corporate houses (read CxO’s), politicians, movie stars, spouses of our clients, marriage prospects, professionals seeking change from their current portfolio, people who want to sustain their professional environment and everyone who seeks to enhance their scale and lifestyle. The overall age group ranges from 28-72, but majority of my clientele are in the 34-62 range.
What kind of image makeover do you do?
Our image engineering framework is a 180 degree makeover of personal, professional and social image engineering. Personal image engineering is the foundation to crafting professional and social messaging. Unless my clients personally adopt and live the image, they cannot pull of the right messages in professional and social in- teractions.
How long do you take to rebuild an image? Does a personal makeover take longer than a professional one? Or vice versa?
There is no fixed timeline for either, most clients tend to respond better to professional image building exercises since they impact the most and can see value faster. Personal image building is a slow process since it takes time to unlearn and up-skill.
How long do you ‘stay’ with a client to help them maintain the image?
What if they cannot stick to the new image? Usually a six-month intervention is the least, but most clients tend to consult even after the makeover is accomplished. When clients are unable to maintain their new image, we intervene to diagnose the root causes leading to this unsustainability.
Which Bengalurean celebrity/politician desperately needs an image makeover?
Every public figure needs us, that’s the gospel truth. We would love to give Nikhil Gowda (grand son of Devagowda and son of Kumaraswamy) an image make over especially after his recent film and his aspirations to follow the a legacy, he could leverage our services.