INDIAN INFLUENCE ON INTERNATIONAL Fashions

Contrary to the recent past, India and Indian conjures the feeling of ethereal wellness. India inspires the rest of the world through its authentic culture, living traditions, and motivated young who believe in value systems and have been rated as the happiest lot amongst their peers in a global survey. Their positive attitude has been attributed to family support and abundance of career opportunities. India is perhaps the only country that nurtures co-existence of modernity and living traditions by reconciling contradictions.

India buzz is definitely in the air we hear from overseas friends feeling privileged to be in India, an important travel destination as well for the fashionistas, soul searchers and explorers. Fashion designer Manish Arora was recently handpicked by producers of Travel and Living program to take viewers through a guided tour of India.

If this wasn't good enough to prove Indian fashion going global, "The fact that Armani is embracing and producing the Indian sherwani proves the inspiration that India provides to the high-end Italian fashion world," industry body CII, which is collaborating with Altagamma, said.


We need more time to ponder on what has worked for us but Karima and Salima on the Indomix site have hit the nail on the head when they said: "Saks, Bloomies and Barney's were of no avail. The racks full with dresses embellished in intricate eastern detail, the latest trend, yet none exude the essence of our entangled cultures. We bring our dualistic personalities in the form of an intermingled style of design."

India's influence is so holistic and compelling that even fashion designers cannot ignore its impact on the minds of their consumers. Fashion designers like Armani who have designed similar styles with band collar also referred to as chinese collar in their earlier collections are highlighting the detail as Indian influence and are entering the luxury segment of Indian wedding wear. Roberto Cavelli seems to be mesmerized by India as well.

India has been on the mood board for quite some time but contrary to the predictions of trend forecasters it is not just about colours, fabrics or embroideries, it is about recognizing the elegance and versatility of Indian styling. The drapes in soft luxurious hand woven materials, long body contouring tunics teamed with a variety of bottoms ranging from slim pyjama trousers to churidars and salwar adaptations are irresistable. The Indian influence is equally strong on men wear. Our styles are feminine and sensuous for women while macho and elegant for men. Perhaps it is also about the celebratory quotient in Indian styling that makes it very attractive for consumption of the style conscious. Indian accessories including foot wear have made inroads into the boardrooms and wardrobes across the board. It could also be attributed to the simplicity, comfort, functionality and applicability of these styles to any body type, culture and occasion, Lastly international brands entering India cannot ignore the fact that Indian consumer is discerning and cannot be taken for granted. Therefore the issue is not about Indian influence on western fashion, it is also about how the west should view the Indians on a level playing ield and on our terms.!