World is calling for Indian fashion designers

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Parent Category: News and Stories

Posted in: Fashion n Modelling on Wednesday, 19 September 2007 00:00

Published on Monday, 30 November -0001 00:00

Written by Models n Trends

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Fashion designers Ashish Soni and Sabyasachi at New York fashion week and Manish Arora, Anamika Khanna and Rajesh Pratap Singh are readying to set ablaze the Paris Fashion Week under their own labels - a sign of India's growing presence in the crowded international arena.

So far, Indian designers have been displaying their collections abroad under the labels of foreign fashion houses or retail chains.

"It's a great moment of glory. For the first time, our designers will showcase their collections under their own labels. India will be there in its original form," said Rathi Vinay Jha, Director General, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).

Fashion is still a fast-shifting terrain in India and existed formally for just seven years since the Fashion Design Council of India launched the first India Fashion Week in 2000.

Compare that with 65 years of shows in New York and 25 in Paris and what is surprising is not that some designers don't have a narrative in their work, but that so many have such mature collections.

Seven years has witnessed a massive shift in sensibilities, reflected in what young men and women are wearing on the streets. “We have changed the landscape of Indian fashion,” says Sumeet Nair, Executive Director, FDCI.

“Before, Indian fashion was traditional Indian couture - bridal and festive wear. There was no prêt-a-porter. We needed to reach out to other markets, to bring down prices and to create ready-to-wear.”

Indian fashion has moved away from the traditional and gone international or Western. In five days only a handful of saris or Indian silhouettes are seen on the runways, with most designers opting for Western silhouettes - bubble dresses, bottom-skimming micro minis, short shorts and full-length gowns.

In the audience, apart from a small group of older women clutching Louis Vuitton handbags close to their saris, fashionistas don the latest Western designs.

However, the Western penchant for monochrome has not hit India - in pinks, oranges, yellows and greens the women watching the shows are as colourful as a Manish Arora outfit.

While shirt-dresses may replace saris for now, scratch the surface of many collections and you'll find them rooted in Indian craftsmanship and a strong sense of Indian identity.

The Fightercock label presented by husband-and-wife duo Abhishek Gupta and Nandita Basu, is an explosion of energy. Drawing from the India they see around them, the couple produce one of the most exciting collections of the week with its fingers firmly on the pulse of modern India.

Another highlight is Tarun Tahiliani's collection inspired by tribal traditions and the humble dhoti - India's equivalent of the sarong.

The king of Indian couture and drape, Tahiliani offers immaculately tailored safari jackets; wide-legged pants worn with kurtas and skinny pants with tunics.

The Rohit Bal’s collection Siyaahi inspired from Turkish heritage. The Bandhej work of Rajasthan gives his collection an Indian touch.

The collection put forth a marriage of East and West, bound with form and structure, embellishment and ornamentation.

Nair is planning a couture week. “This will be predominantly Indian wear,” says Nair. “It's a chance to show off the arts, crafts and talent that exists in India.”

Designers are increasingly looking to the markets in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.