Indi-genous spirit
Photographs from Jean Paul Gaultier’s SS 2013 haute couture collection
India is now grabbing the eyeballs of fashionistas across the globe. Designers across the world are enamoured by India. The latest is Jean Paul Gaultier’s SS 2013 haute couture collection, inspired from India, shown last week at his Paris atelier. To top that, there was Indian music as background music for his colourful gowns that were teamed with scarves and flowy dupattas for the models’ headgear with cone bras and corsets.
India has been an inspiration to myriad international design houses as we are finally finding our niche on the global fashion map, what with the famed sari gowns, Indian hues and desi fabrics creating style news. India is one hotspot in these designers’ travel inspiration itineraries.
Designer Nachiket Barve, who creates his own textiles using the finest materials, believes that fashion is a social phenomenon. Nachiket proclaims, “Fashion mirrors what’s happening in the society and is uniform and banal. India is a foreign land for many seasoned international designers who are looking at bringing about new perspectives from our shores. They are now looking at our rich Indian culture which is becoming part of the larger consciousness.”
For someone who has been awarded the Padma Shri and whose outfits have been patronised by style icons such as late Princess Diana and Jemima Khan, designer Ritu Kumar feels it’s a definite trend that’s been noticed for two reasons. She cites, “Design trends in Europe are going through a depression. Indian fashion looks cheerful and gets all the more fun on the ramp. Secondly, international designers are now looking at the booming Indian market. Our saris are piquing their interests. While we would look at it as a normal six-yard, they find it very exotic and give their own twist to it. The Indian influence is very strong. Gone are the days when we looked at Europe for inspiration.”
Close on the heels was Galliano who made many fashion critics’ eyeballs pop out recently when he was spotted draped in a cotton sari with an ornate border over his boxers. He paired it with a shirt and a jacket, with an anklet on his right foot. Who can forget Lady Gaga wearing a jadugar dress designed by Nida Mahmood, with headgear inspired by the mukuts from the Ramlila. Gaga loved the Indianness of the concept. Nida affirms, “India is an important centre known for its textiles and usage of colours. A lot of interest in India is being generated which will only grow.”
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