A Time for India

The October Issue hits the stands today. And while all over the world it’s about the September Issue, in India it is the October issue which really is the bumper edition. The month marks the start of the festive season, the wedding season is reaching its peak, and of course, it’s the time when many of us are just in the mood to shop.
And the new trend for October – it’s a return to India, a return to heritage albeit in a modern interpretation. At Lakme Fashion Week I noticed that nearly every designer showed a sari, though in their own style. And I feel that is what has kept the sari alive while other national costumes have died. As constant as the appeal of the sari is, there is also a freshness to it with designers interpreting it differently – be it Anand Kabra’s lehenga sari, Anamika Khanna’s trouser sari or Tarun Tahilani’s goddess sari.
Seeing the sari take centrestage at fashion week also made me realise that Indian designers might finally be getting it. For years at an Indian fashion week we have seen watered down versions of outfits from the catwalks of Milan, Paris, London, and New York. And my question has always been why would we try and do something that clearly the West does better than us? Why don’t we concentrate on what we can do better than anyone else? Our knowledge of drape, colour, fabric, and surface ornamentation is richer than any other. When you buy British fashion, you know it is going to be quirkier, American fashion tends be sportier, the Italians are the tsars of tailoring, and the Parisians know chic better than anyone else.
And while no Indian may be developing a handwriting in fashion; something there has richness, a feel of crafts and vibrancy that truly is unique. We should focus on that and not try and do something we can never be the best at!

(Pics Courtesy: Harper's bazaar India)