Doing it White

The marriage of former Union Minister, Shashi Tharoor and businesswoman, Sunanda Pushkar made headlines for many reasons. One aspect which drew much speculation was the Kashmiri bride's attire, who showed up in traditional Malayali clothes: an off-white veshti-mundu.

Designer Swapnil Shinde was completely spellbound by this traditional white gold bordered sari. He first came across the specimen during Onam in Kerala and plans to incorporate the fabric in one of his future collections.“I don't use a lot of traditional handlooms but it's a very good idea to use all that vibrant gold and cream…” he said in an interview with the Hindu.

Whether it be in the wardrobe of Sunanda Pushkar or the creme de la creme of the fashion industry, the Kerala sari is all set to be in vogue next season. However, we may see an altogether new version of it, given Shinde's tendencies. When advised against presenting an over-the-top collection in the South, he declared that "Conservative is definitely not a good word in fashion. Any kind of restriction in any kind of art is not good." He feels that people are now open to daring ensembles. The veshti-mundu sari, which is at once considered an emblem of modesty and sensuality may well be in the process of evolving.

The blending of traditional Indian design on western silhouettes has been on the rise. Batik prints, tie and dye and mirror work is receiving tremendous response in Europe and the United States. In fact, one of my recent purchases was a typical Indian paisley print dress, from Belgium.

The contribution of Indian designers to international fashion is immense, and this is helping in establishing India as one of the fashion centres in the international sphere.

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25 year old Sierra Leonian, Adami Kai founded her brand Aschobi Designs, in 2008 which is now internationally recognized. Though she has trained in Paris, her heart was always in Sierra Leone, from where she derives the inspiration for her designs. She moved back to her native country after working briefly in New York and Europe, and continues to represent Sierra Leone in international couture. "In the same way that Ralph Lauren stands for America, Chanel for France and Versace for Italy, I want Aschobi to stand for African fashion," Kai proudly gushed in an interview.

Sierra Leone is a West African country located next to Guinea. It is infamously known for its child soldiers of the 1991-2001 Civil War. The United Nations recently declared it the least developed state. In such depraved conditions, the emergence of an international fashion label is the last thing one would expect, and yet that is exactly what has happened here. Just goes to show that beauty can exist alongside suffering and Adami Kai has proved that nothing can escape the enticing clutches of 'la mode.'

The above picture is of one of Kai's designs worn by a native model in Sierra Leone. Her entire collection can be accessed at http://aschobi.com/

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

- Coco Chanel

The above quote by pioneer French designer, Gabriel 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971) brilliantly sums up the themes I'll be dealing with in my blog. Personally, I think fashion is something each one of us can relate to, whether we follow trends and fashion magazines, or completely disregard them. Fashion is an integral part of our lives, and there is not a single person who is completely unaffected by it in some way or another. It is the way we choose to present ourselves to the world, to each other and to oneself. While some of us choose to be slaves to it, others acquire mastery over it. Either way, fashion is ubiquitous, and its importance and expansion in today's world cannot go unnoticed.

I am going to be sharing my thoughts about all of these people: the creators, the followers, the critics, the skeptics, as well as the creations, the current trends and the response they receive. I look forward to your readership and welcome any similar or differing comments and feedback.