When you think of India’s influence on the world of fashion, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the designs of contemporary talents like Naeem Khan or Ritu Kumar, or the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent’s imagined subcontinent, brought to life in the long tunics, turbans, and Kashmir-inspired palm motifs that appeared in many of his collections. For many, the nation’s long held status as a global textile supplier is the primary association. For others, India may call to mind traditions of dress in their own families — the saris of their mothers and grandmothers.
A new book, India in Fashion (Rizzoli), edited by Vogue Global Editor at Large and World of Interiors Editor in Chief Hamish Bowles, explores the nation’s sartorial legacy in vivid, expansive and captivating form. It illustrates a deep impact often unnoticed or distorted by the lens of colonialism while bringing to life a wealth of gorgeous design stories from the seventeenth century to today. As Bowles puts it: “India’s impact on Western fashion has been a complicated and layered history of admiration, appropriation, exploitation, and celebration.”
A sari-inspired ikat wrap dress from Dries van Noten’s Spring 2010 collection.
Courtesy of Dries van Noten
Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2008 collection, titled The Girl Who Lived in the Tree, featured a cream tulle evening dress with peacock lace appliqué.
Photograph by Robert Fairer
Essays by the likes of legendary fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, V&A curator Avalon Fotheringham and writer Priyanka R. Khanna delve into textile histories, dramatic moments of influence (see: Indian fashion in the Court of Versailles), and offer colorful profiles of key voices. Bowles’ own writing and vision cocoons these contributions, which are divided into two sections: the first is a survey of India’s textiles, costume traditions and craftsmanship, the second a series of profiles of Indian designers and those who have incorporated Indian influences into their…
Read the full article here
