India, Oct. 26 -- Every now and then, a book comes along that sneaks up on you and leaves a big impression. Madhav Agasti's Stitching Stardom: For Icons, On and Offscreen is one such delight, an endearing short 100-odd-page memoir that stitches together not just a designer's journey but a philosophy of success as well. At its heart, the book is about a tailor who became a tastemaker, and in the process, made his name in Indian cinema and the political class; but it manages to put together an entire life's worth of lessons, failures, laughter and stardust.

Sewing Success, One Stitch at a Time

Agasti begins the book directly, modestly, delivered in first person. His story begins with a young tailor, leaving home, with a small bag and five...