Style Session: Dualist Inquiry

Delhi-based electronica  producer Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Inquiry recently joined the likes of  American pop rock band HAIM and Brit rockers The Vaccines as the face of  Levi’s 501 CT global ad campaign. Taking time off from music, he spoke to Rolling Stone India about his sense of style and his wardrobe.

Describe to us your personal style.

I tend to love clothes that exhibit a degree of attention to detail. I consider my style to be minimalistic yet fussy, in the sense I’ll spend hours in a store trying to find the perfect fitting solid color t-shirt or pair of jeans.

What according to you is the essence of a man’s style, especially musicians.

I think with men’s style, less is more, and the magic is in the details.

Are you conscious of what you wear when in concert?

I have two distinct modes of clothing in my daily life, at home and when I am out.  When I’m at home, I chill in pajamas and loose tees, it’s super comfortable. Any time I step out of the house though, it’s my usual ensemble of black jeans, t-shirt, watch, etc. Whether it’s for a concert or a coffee with an old friend, I’ll dress the same way. I do tend to save my favorite tees for my big
concerts though.

What does your wardrobe look like?

I’m guilty of owning a walk-in closet to hold all my clothes, though the truth is that most of the time I rely on a few tees and a couple of pairs of jeans. I think I’ve been most indulgent when it comes to shoes, jackets and watches. I have about 20-25 of each.

What is the most expensive piece of clothing you own? 

A gorgeous leather jacket from the Levi’s Made & Crafted line. It’s a slim fit biker jacket and you can really feel the expertise and attention to detail that went into
making it.

You have recently become the face of the Levi’s 501 CT in India. How does it feel like to be the only musician from India to be a part of a global advertising campaign?

It’s a great privilege to be chosen to be part of this campaign. Levi’s choice to bring musicians and artists from all over the world for the 501 CT reflects the diversity and versatility of this product. I’m really happy to represent our growing indie music scene in India in this global campaign.

How were you chosen?

I’m not sure of the decision-making process that went into Levi’s, but from my end, I received an early-stage inquiry asking if I’d be interested in working with Levi’s. Of course, my answer was a massive yes, and before I knew it, everything was locked in place and I was on my way to shoot for the campaign in New York.

When did you first start wearing Levi’s?

When I was eight or nine years old. I think Levi’s weren’t widely available in India at the time, so I bought my first pair when I visited New York with my parents in 1996. Because I was growing so fast those days, they bought me a pair that was six inches longer than it needed to be. So I wore them rolled up at the cuffs for the first year or so.

Who are your style icons?

I don’t actually have any style icons in particular, since I’ve never paid that much attention to my dressing style. I just piece together what feels good to me, and my tastes change a bit every year or so.

What do you have to say about how Indian musicians dress in concert.

It’s hard to generalize, to be honest. Some individuals dress up and do it really well, some try too hard and get it wrong, and a lot of musicians I know don’t think about it at all.

Give us your three rules of style.

Don’t try too hard; don’t follow trends if they don’t suit you; dress for the mood you’re in.

 What does a typical day in your life look like?

There are two typical kinds of days for me: at home or on the road. When I’m at home, I wake up nice and early to get some quiet time in the studio before everyone else wakes up. I keep rotating between my home studio, living room and kitchen, making music, playing some video games or fixing myself some snacks. In the evenings, I go work out when I feel like, and on a typical evening I’ll probably have some friends over for dinner and drinks. When I’m on tour though, it’s a completely different story. It’s more like flight, taxi, sound check, gig, sleep, repeat.

Dualist Inquiry will perform at the Levi’s Presents 501 Friday along with Frame/Frame at Bonobo, Mumbai, 9 pm onwards. Entry free. See event details here.