New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Actor Karan Wahi has a fashion trend he would gladly leave behind: carrot-fit denims. Calling the style a “big no”, Wahi looked back at his fashion choices from the early 2000s and early 2010s at Nykaaland 2026 in Delhi.
Speaking to ANI at the beauty and lifestyle festival in Delhi on Sunday, October 25, Wahi looked back at his own fashion choices, admitted that he often relies on others for grooming advice and said Indian men's approach to style is changing.
“I think carrot-fit denims, which I was obsessed with at one point of time,” Wahi said when asked which fashion fad he would like to throw out of his wardrobe. Recalling his photographs from the early 2000s and early 2010s, he added, “I thought, what was I looking at?”
“So I think carrot fits are a big no. Even if you have great legs or whatever, I hate carrot fits. Very bad,” he said.
Wahi's candid take on the denim silhouette came as he discussed personal style, men's grooming and the pressure on celebrities to look fashionable whenever they step out in public.
Addressing the attention celebrities receive for their airport looks and appearances outside their homes, Wahi said he has never been particularly concerned about following trends.
“I think my style statement has always been something that I'm comfortable in. It could be in trend, it could not be in trend,” he said.
The actor revealed that he frequently repeats his clothes and often turns to his friends for feedback when an outfit has been worn too many times.
“Or if I'm wearing the same thing, I have a habit of actually repeating my clothes a lot,” he said, adding that his friends sometimes threaten to throw certain items out of his wardrobe.
Wahi also spoke about his preference for linen, a fabric he said suits the hot weather in Mumbai, where he lives. However, he acknowledged its practical drawback: “The only problem with linen is you keep ironing it all the time.”
He also said he has gradually become more open to wearing looser silhouettes after previously believing that baggy or loose clothes would not suit him.
Wahi believes men's fashion in India is evolving, with more men taking an interest in dressing well and grooming themselves.
“There are certain men in India who are getting very stylish, and I hope men like me also learn from these men,” he said.
Reflecting on what he saw at Nykaaland, he added that the growing presence of male attendees and the availability of products for men indicated a shift in attitudes towards fashion and grooming.
“I think Indian men usually don't bother as much as they should,” Wahi said, adding, "But I think the trend is changing. I could see it at Nykaaland; the trend is changing.”
Despite his public image as a well-dressed actor, Wahi was quick to admit that fashion does not come naturally to him.
“If you give me a shopping basket, you will realise how bad I am at fashion,” he said, explaining that his choices are largely driven by what appeals to him visually. "If I see something on a mannequin, and I like it, I would definitely purchase it..." he said.
Asked which three grooming or lifestyle products he would pick at Nykaaland, Wahi said he would opt for a moisturiser, a hair styling product and a makeup product associated with K-beauty.
He also admitted that he had heard the term hyaluronic acid repeatedly over the past six months but was unsure what it was. Believing it was widely used in skincare products, he said he would look for something containing the ingredient.
For his hair, Wahi said he would need someone else to help him choose a suitable product, suggesting a gel or another styling option.
As an actor, he was also interested in a primer for the face.
“Something for the face, in terms of makeup, something with hyaluronic acid, something for my hair,” he said, summing up his potential shopping choices.
Wahi, who said he had not spent a Delhi winter in a long time, expressed his appreciation for the city's colder weather compared with Mumbai.
“It's been a very, very long time since I've actually spent winter in Delhi. But I landed today; it's a lot better than Mumbai right now,” he said. “But what I miss the most is that I can wear long coats here in winters," he said.
Wahi appeared at Nykaaland 2026 in Delhi on Sunday, where he hosted and featured in The Nykaa Play Show on the beauty festival's final day.
The day's programme also included beauty sessions with makeup artists Meera Sakhrani and Adrian Jacobs, along with a live musical performance by Sukhbir and Gurnazar. (ANI)
Karan Wahi shares his winter wardrobe essential, grooming must-haves and biggest fashion regret
