IS IT TIME TO GO HAUTE?

(Source- The Times of India)

The couture week that one saw recently was not a mere show of the flamboyance of our designers. It is a sign of the Indian fashion industry’s global reach, influence and the buying power of the Indian consumer, say designers

 

The HDIL couture week that happened in Mumbai recently, was a turning point for the Indian fashion industry on the global fashion map. India is the third country in the world, apart from Paris and New York, to host a full-fledged couture week. While this augurs well for India’s visibility on a global scale, it is also true that couture is a dying art in the West. The cold anonymity of mass production and standardised industrial processes are proving to be its nemesis. So, rightly then, there was this ripple in the designer community about whether the Indian fashion industry is equipped to sustain the couture week culture. But the Indian fashion industry is still all for giving couture the impetus that it needs to flourish within the country. Because as designer Ashish Soni puts it, “Many people in India are now overdosing on the ready-to-wear stuff. This might drive them to couture. In India, couture is majorly driven by the bridal market. It is a part of Indian culture to spend that kind of money at the time of the wedding. And therefore couture being celebrated in such a larger-than-life scale complete with a dedicated fashion week is a good idea here.” Which could be the reason why Ashish says this, “In a lot of other countries couture is a dying art. It majorly exists in Paris, where some handful of rich people want their clothes customised.” But the one obvious difference that Ashish sees between the West and India is that, “there are stores in the West that buy couture and stock up, but that is not so in India. But I guess we should give ourselves some time and things will shape up.” Designer Varun Bahl feels that this is the right time to introduce couture at such a professional level. “The most obvious difference between the western and Indian couture is the fact that Indian techniques are much more beautiful, elaborate and elegant. Yes, there are bound to be teething problems, since we are new to the concept of a couture week, but I guess in time we shall better the art for the ramp,” says Varun, echoing Ashish.

Businesswise too, it is a good idea, feels Sunny Dewan, MD, HDIL. “While I agree the Indian fashion Industry is in its nascent stages, fashion itself is not new to India. In the last 15-20 years, the industry has made major headway in consolidating its position in fashion platforms in Indian and overseas,” he says, adding, “A country as large as India has designs and costumes that represents the culture of each state. Indian designers have realised this strength; their collections blend the traditional crafts with modern style. This has worked to the advantage of Indian fashion and has left a mark not only on the subcontinent, but also in the global market and therefore this is the right time to formalise our talent in couture.”
Couture has always been embedded in Indian history. India has a rich textile and crafts heritage. Globally, India is known for excellent design traditions and craftsmanship. With each passing year, the Indian fashion Industry is spreading out into the world. “And here, it is also important to note that the bulk of a designer’s revenue ultimately comes from couture and bridalwear,” says Dewan, asserting that the first couture week has managed to create a resurgence for Indian fashion as well as a base that would provide the industry with a much-awaited, first-of-itskind platform for haute couture. “The couture week is another milestone in India’s fashion industry going global,” he says.

 

 

PHOREN GIRLS LOVE THE INDIAN RAMP

That’s because, they say, the opportunities here are good for them, the designers are talented and sweet, and the country is a very attractive place. And this is the reason why India’s emerging as a good career option for firang models

 

The last two fashion weeks that were held simultaneously in Delhi really were rainbow events, and more international in character than past fashion weeks have been. That was because, apart from the participation of a top Hong Kong-based designer in one and a South African choreographer in the other, there were quite a number of foreign models there too. And they were from Brazil, Tanzania, South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka… The girls said that not only was India a beautiful, vibrant place that they’d wanted to visit, it also offered them a great opportunity in terms of visibility and attractive remuneration for their ramp stint here.
Cintia Rosa of Brazil says she loved her fashion week experience here. “Being a part of fashion weeks is quite important career-wise,” she says. “It’s good for a models’ career. It’s a completely new experience here. The opportunities are great. One can mature as a model in India.” Laimi Mongji from South Africa was also quite upbeat about her India-yeah experience. “The best part about modelling here is the exposure you get. It is bigger and better. The designers and the people here are highly professional and I also liked the Indian models. They are beautiful and well groomed. They can even do their own make-up – we have to depend completely on the make-up artists!”

The girls come here despite being well-established in their own countries. “I have been an ex-Miss Tanzania and am quite popular in my country,” says Millen Happiness Magese from South Africa. “But when I was coming to India, I never knew that there would be such a warm reception and even warmer acceptance. The money was good and the chance to see this country was interesting, and that’s why I took the offer up in the first place. But the idea that Indians have matured enough to put blacks on the ramp and let them take the lead was indeed surprising. Now, I feel quite honoured at having got the chance.”
Apart from the acceptance, the chance to see India, and it’s growing fashion industry, was also a factor in the models’ decision to come here. And once they did, they loved the experience. Model Mariana can even drape a saree now, even though she wouldn’t wear it all the time! “Life did become hectic during the fashion week. But when I think of it now, I feel great about the event,” she says. “Even though there was enough pressure to deal with, we had our moments of fun. Yes, Indian fashion is growing. And it is great to see how keen the designers in India are to experiment with new things. They are all so confident about their ideas.” Who is her favourite Indian designer? “I like Wendell Rodricks. Since he is invariably in a good mood, the work does become really easy. But this doesn’t negate the fact that he is quite a professional.” Happy with the treatment of foreign models in India, Mariana says, “I have to say that a lot of attention was paid to the food that was offered to us during the fashion week. People paid attention to the little details when we were here, and so we didn’t face any difficulty.” Model Tatiana, from Brazil is glad that the fashion week helped her work with some of the top notch designers of the country. “The fashion designers were quite friendly and helpful, which made our task as models easier,” she says.

Heema Mandil from Mauritius found it easy to work in India since she says that she comes from a culture that’s closer to India anyway. “I’d always wanted to wear Indian clothes,” she says. “There are so many creative designers – it’s great to work with them.” Despite having visited India for both professional and personal reasons, it is India’s exotic appeal that she think is “an essential element to attract visitors”. Heema also feels that fashion in Mauritius is a replication of Indian fashion. “This is because Mauritius comprises a significant Indian population,” she says.

 

 

(Source- The Times of India)

CUTTING EDGE MANTRAS

Designer Ritu Kumar believes that to be able to take the Indian fashion industry forward, one must fall back upon our rich traditional crafts and textiles. This unique combination could, she writes, make us the most unique fashion country in the world

 

RITU KUMAR

 

The fashion industry in the country has a history which is unique in its own right and remains so to this day. We have been selling textiles and clothing to the world for more than 1500 years. If you define fashion though, through the images on the ramp – the Indian fashion industry is not more than two decades old. In the last decade or so, there has been a quantum leap in the visibility of this industry. This is largely due to sponsorships and the media’s response to glamourous images on the ramp. This has, albeit inadvertently, given an impetus to our nascent fashion industry and thrown up young talent that is given a platform to show the interpretations of fashion – which often takes on a handwriting of its own. The collections are a mixture of influences, partly reflecting aspiratons of the upwardly mobile international young Indian and partly keeping to what we wear as a nation.

Ours is a vast and complicated subcontinent. I have been in the fashion world of designing now for close to 40 years, now. I started in the atmosphere of post-independence, where a strong patriotic feeling led us all to go back to our roots and help revive dying and forgotten crafts of embroidery, weaving, printing and a multitude of skills lost over 150 years of colonial rule. There was a sense of pride in wearing our own styles and apparel. I went out into the field and this barefoot doctor approach led to a rejuvenation of the rich textile craft skills of this country.

Today’s generation has that heritage to work with. The lines between Western and Indian looks are getting fluid. There is an acceptance of the fact that if we have to be global in our approach to design, we must – as we always have as a country – customise endlessly to create a modern, cosmopolitan, yet indigenous collections. The world’s fashion today is owned by multinationals. In most countries small designer houses have closed down and the world is left with no options but to dress the way it is prescribed by a predominantly Euro-American fashion world.

The Indian fashion industry has visibility, but is misunderstood to a large extent. The fact of the matter is that a fashion designer’s profession it is one of the most difficult ways to earn a living. There is no financial or government backing, very little professional infrastructure to back their efforts. Most designers who work, work despite the inherent difficulties of an unorganised market place. The fact that the Indian designers are able to adjust with the coming in of international brands says a lot for our resilience and accountability to the choice that most of us have made. The fact that there are multiple choices today between ethnic, bridal, fusion and western wear in India, reflects the country’s richness.

The global community looks at India today as a large market which it can tap for its potential to sell their goods. There is a growing awareness of the fact that this is a country which is not a simple walkover – thanks to the fact that it has an indigenous fashion industry of its own. Some of India’s designers who have shown in the western countries at their high-end fashion weeks are getting some recognition. But Indian design is largely inspirational for western designers, especially for their summer lines. The time is still to come when they will buy these from India as high-end goods in any volume. If any Indian designer makes it internationally, it will not be a question of only talent, but investment to be in the same bracket as brands which can compete with the international ones. In the meantime, the huge marketing skills of the Western fashion world and their clout is creating a climate in India where these brands are becoming aspirational for the youth.

Will India be able to keep a toe hold in its own market? I certainly hope my optimism is verified in the years to come. India will change – but will not give up the richness of its traditional aesthetics. We may start wearing tshirts with paisleys on them rather than a kurta, but it is not going to be a war between a little lycra dress and a saree. I feel both will co-exist. The real question will be – can our fashion industry, with its young nascent infrastructure, its reliance on sponsors, its soft financial ground, be able to take the fallout of the recession? There will be a shake out, but I feel the industry will survive it, at least for the next decade – largely due to the fact that it is built on a strong foundation of 16 million textile crafts people who work in this sector, these consists of weavers, printers, dyers and master-craftsmen, and women, who have inherited textile skills which are unique in this world. If Indian fashion is a catalyst between these skills and national and international sartorial needs, we could yet be the most unique fashion country in the world.

 

(Source- The Times of India)

THE SAREE IS THE NEW LBD

The Little Black Dress: Every woman’s dream, every man’s fantasy. Who would have thought that one day, the saree would attain the same level of acceptance world over! But it has, yard by exquisite yard…

 

What is it that gives the saree the edge over the kurti, salwar-kameez, sherwani, dhoti pants, Jodhpurs… After all, these are also India’s contribution to world fashion, and once in a while, you will see some firang mover and shaker wearing them. Designer Ritu Kumar argues, “The saree is one of the most elegant outfits in the world. It is unstructured, unlike other stitched garments. This gives every single wearer the liberty to be able to mould it to suit their personality, and the occasion. I was looking at this picture of the Pussycat Dolls in saree the other day, and I was thinking that the saree has now become a substitute for the Little Black Dress – it is perceived by the West as a lovely, flowing, clingy garment. There’s none of the traditional/religious overtones that the garment has in India. And this gives them the freedom to experiment.”

“I consider the saree deeply elegant – it is one of the most grounding elements of what haute couture is all about,” said Valentino, when he was once asked about why he was so fond of the saree. “The fascination for the saree has always been there in the West, but now, on a more visible scale. The image of India is now that of Shilpa Shetty and Bollywood,” says Ritu, who also tries to experiment with the ways a saree can be draped. “I try to modify the drape to suit the young wearers. Since
the younger generation is not used to draping the whole six yards, I sometimes stitch the pleats and the first drape of the saree onto the petticoat, which can be zipped up at the waist. That leaves the pallu to be draped on in any style that is current,” she says.

Rocky, who designed the Pussycat Dolls’ sarees, says that he was approached by an Indian portal based in New York, and asked if he’d like to dress up the very sexy rock group. “Why would I have said no?” says Rocky. “It sounded very challenging because I had no time – just two days. I thought, I’m an Indian designer and my designs have to reflect that. So I made sarees for them. They asked me to come along and so I went
with them to the concert. This concert is basically a celebration of the relationship between fashion and music. It was fabulous,” a very excited Rocky had told us at that time. Designer Suneet Varma finds “the saree the most versatile garment in the world. It can, with a sweep of the head, be conservative or with a flash of the navel, trendy,” he says. “Worn a little low to show off the navel, teamed up with a backless choli, or show a bit of cleavage, and a saree can make you the most elegant woman at a cocktail party,” he says.

Many international designers – John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Armani, and others have shown the saree as a part of their collection on the international runway. While this too has gone on to up its style quotient, at the end of the day, it is the only garment in the world to have, as Suneet puts it, “a 1001 ways of wearing it”.

 

 

(Source- The Times of India)