INDIA: An Emerging Player in Global Fashion

Well, 2018 went out with a bang. A number of celebrities tied the knot at the end of the year, but the biggest celebrity wedding of all, according to Us Weekly, was that of Nick Jonas (former Jonas Brother) and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra (former Miss World 2000). Events leading up to the wedding were absolute spectacles and their colorful wedding photos were shared all over social media. The pair said their “I do’s” at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and the events literally sparked a new interest in Indian culture and fashion.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s combo Western/traditional Punjabi wedding was complete with a chooda and kalire ceremony. Held one after the other on the morning of the wedding day at the bride’s place, beautiful red and white chooda (bangles) and the beautiful golden accessories that hang on them, famously known as kalire, were custom-made by Mrinalini Chandra. For the Christian wedding, Chopra wore a white modest gown created by Ralph Lauren—not a common choice for an Indian bride, but the gown had plenty of exquisite details. According to RL Mag, Ralph Lauren’s official internal publication, “At Priyanka’s request, eight special words and phrases were incorporated into the embroidery pattern of the coat: “Hope” and “Compassion,” a Hindu mantra “Om Namaha Shivay,” and “December 1, 2018,” the date of the ceremony. The placement of the groom’s full name, Nicholas Jerry Jonas, on the front of the coat, was mirrored on the back with the names of her parents. (A piece of lace from Nick’s mother’s own wedding dress was sewn into the pattern) and the word “Family” scrolled down the right sleeve, where Priyanka has a wrist tattoo reading “Daddy’s Lil Girl…” And finally, just over her heart, the word “Love” was stitched in ivory thread.”

Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas and their guests wore plenty of traditional looks created by Indian designers – placing the spotlight on Indian fashion around the world.

THE INDIAN FASHION INDUSTRY

The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), a not-for-profit organization, is the apex body of fashion design in India. It is represented by over 400 members and was created to promote, nurture and represent the most incredible talents in the country. Its prime objective is to propagate the business of fashion in India in the form of coveted fashion weeks. As part of its initiatives, the FDCI’s calendar of events include the annual prêt week for women and menswear for Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer, the India Fashion Week and the yearly luxurious offering, the India Couture Week. India Fashion Week is a bi-annual fashion week organized and promoted by the Fashion Design Council of India. It was sponsored by Wills Lifestyle from 2006-2014 before Amazon became and continues to be its sponsor.

Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) has earned renown as one of India’s most prestigious fashion shows, which takes place twice a year, with the Summer/Resort show in the early months of the year, and the Winter/Festive show in August. Run through a collaborative effort between cosmetic brand Lakmé and IMG Reliance Ltd, which has made a name for itself in fashion, and entertainment marketing and management, the fashion show was conceived to allow Indian fashion to gain a foothold in the global fashion industry.

Over the past few years, the fashion scene in India has finally been receiving global recognition. According to an article in WWD, published on Sept. 3, 2018, India’s Lakmé Fashion Week has been rapidly growing with sponsorship up 40 percent, according to Jaspreet Chandok, vice president and head of fashion at IMG Reliance. “This season is going to be the highest amount of sponsorship the LFW has had, having grown consistently for the last four seasons.” While individual designers are finding sponsors, “the sponsors that are coming directly through fashion week, because of the large platform where multiple conversations can happen,” Chandok observed.

INDIAN DESIGNERS: CLASSICS WITH A TWIST

 Here are a few of the best looks from India’s Lakmé Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018: 

East meets West as the sari enters the 21st century.  This edgy, distressed denim sari was created by Diksha Khanna, an alumni of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi and University of Leeds, UK. Diksha has worked internationally with several design houses before shifting her base to India. She is known for fine needlepoint embroideries on handloom linens, rugged, hand-distressed scrap denim pieces and languid drapes in combination with structured tailoring.

The traditional dhoti gets a sultry sari makeover by Shivan & Narresh, advocates of the high-flying, party-hopping lifestyle. Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja were known as the first, and so far the only, beachwear designers in India, when they introduced their innovative Bikini Sarees. Their signature Bikini Sarees are in vogue these days and many actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Maliaka Arora Khan and Bipasha Basu have been seen dazzling in them on the red carpet. Their global clientele includes Nicki Minaj, Dita Von Tesse, Fergie, Padma Lakshmi and Selita Banks. Both designers are alumni of National Institute of Fashion Technology, where they met and combined their creativity to form an invincible team for the designing competitions. Their efforts earned them a scholarship in 2006 after winning Mittelmoda International Beachwear Award in Bali. The Shivan and Narresh 2014 summer collection featured cut out sleek gowns and bold knee length dresses, which were later adorned by actress Lisa Haydon and Priyanka Chopra, making their dresses a cool alternative to conventional cocktail dresses.

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