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GenX has mixed and matched the standard Indian tunics and presented a TILL very recently, when you think of ethnic look in Indian fashion, the first thing that comes to the mind is wearing of a sari or ghagra-choli, with the usual accessories of bangles and bindi. If you are still more bent on being Indian, then you have the mandatory block prints, mix-up embroidery styles ranging from Mughal zardosi to Bengali kantha, tie and dye fabrics and, of course, a free flowing silhouette.
The only trouble with this type of fashion strategy is that the special variations of styling, which are peculiar to each region of India, are forgotten, and if you go by the fashion, then these project only one homogeneous style for the whole nation. Happily, the Generation X has put paid to these ideas. It has mixed and matched the standard Indian tunics, ghagra-cholis, saris and salwar-kameezes, halter necks, deep side-slits, low backs and waistbands to present a more refreshing look for the Indian woman. Skirts, once so sedate an item, have moved away from the traditional flow that was associated with lehenga, and thus resulting in a neat A-line look that is Western in its orientation, yet every bit Indian. Modern fashion designers who are experimenting with these novel changes feel justified. As Anju Chotrani, a couturier of Mumbai, explains: " The first thing any modern Indian woman wants is to look sensuous. Our traditional typical flowing Indian tunics are no longer acceptable. The modern miss is looking for excitement." Yes. Feminine sensuousness is the key word. The newer generation of fashion maestros are anxious to break out of the beaten track. As Sita Chitale of House of Generation X in Kolkata explains: "We want to make a celebration of feminine sensuousness with fabric that creates a peekaboo effect to traditional Indian attire." Again, the colour palette has also become one of utmost importance, spanning the complete spectrum from vibrant hues to paler hues for the fitted inners, slit tunics, open shirts, parallel trousers, blouses and the ubiquitous ghagra-cholis and salwar-kameezes. Clarifies Kavita Shirali, fashion designer of Kolkata: "Our objective is to create styles that are modern in look and Indian in heart, as it is high time that we project our own identity internationally to avoid being prominent as cultural gypsies." Shirali has her supporters in the husband and wife team of Ranjita and Vasudev Sarkar, whose creations have been featured in the fashion bible, Colleczoni Donna, of Italy. These fashion maestros are concentrating on earthy and muted shades like rust, beige, khaki as well as icy pastels, to give a definite international look to Indian wear. Their contemporaries Manju and Bobby Grover were the first among Indian designers to deconstruct the sari and blouse combo, besides introducing hand-painted designs on tunics and tights, salwar-kameezes and lehengas. At present they are trying to create trousseau garments in colours like stark white and black as a part of reinventing the Indian identity internationally. Another recent development has been the attention paid to kaftan, and Anju Chotrani has come out with her eclectic collection of earth coloured kaftans, which are based on hand-painted reproductions of cavemen drawings and totem symbols of tribal Africa. Rani Khatau has
converted an interesting blend of East and West bridal wear by
emphasising shades of ruby and gold, lush brocade and silk but no
embroidery. In addition to these fashion maestros, we find that
fashion houses like Ensemble and Glitterati have asked their fashion
experts to return to the Indian roots and avoid the Western look. — MF
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