The Offbeat Fashion

The Indian audiences now seem to have had enough of the exotic Indian look. New breeds of fashion designers are emerging who are keen to explore the fashion scene of India from a new angle.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
Indian audiences finally seem to have taken a respite from the usual fare of exotic fashion apparels – be it jewel studded lehengas and swaraovaski embedded halter tops. The trend now seems to go for simple — be it khadi or ethnic Indian silk modernized with contemporary patterns, the quest for simplicity and innovativeness in designs seems to be picking up.  
 
 
 
Says designer Sujata Sarawagi, who prefers to be known as a textile designer than a fashion designer:  “I never identify myself with the typical trends in fashion and as a result I cannot create such wares though they might be in great demand. True the designer, rich exotic look is immensely popular especially in the bridal market but I cannot be creating them as they simply do not fit my sense of design and fashion. I would never be wearing them and so why create something which I will never wear?”  
 
 
 

 
 
Like Sujata a large chunk of younger people now seem to be giving a pass to traditional fashion patterns. “Many of the garments from so called fashion designers are so tacky and they are strictly passé like the K serials. In fact the decorated sarees, long open hair, large bindis and heavy ornate jewelery were essentially a look promoted by K soap operas; with their craze fading the demand for such look is also waning,” says advertising executive Ranjabati Sarkar who thinks she has her own unique sense of style. Her friend Nimisha agrees and says: “Besides who can afford to buy them? Such clothes are definitely not for the common Indian people!”  
 
Designer Jaya Misra who specializes in bridal wear however disagrees. “There is and will always be a demand for such dresses especially as a part of trousseau. In weddings people want to depict the rich exotic look and so these dresses are in high demand,” she says. Nonetheless even Jaya agrees that often this demand for a similar exotic look creates a challenge for the designer and she has to find uniqueness while maintaining the same flavor. “Personally I am well known for my rich bridal designs but at times even I need to take a break from the going trend. So sometime back I had launched my peace collection that seeked to capture the simplicity of Indian designs by making optimal use of Indian fibers like khadi,” she adds.  
 
Whatever be the mode of expression of the designer – each garment created should have a sense of purpose and only then it can meet the expectation of audience says designer Rahul Mishra who is hailed as the next Sabyasachi in the Indian fashion circuit. Rahul was recently in Kolkata in a store called Bombaim to showcase his latest collection. Known for his innovative ideas on traditional fabrics Rahul feels that India has a rich repertoire of unique traditional fabrics and patterns which are yet to be discovered. “As a designer it is my duty to find them and give a new meaning to these traditional forms so that they are accepted by the contemporary generation,” he says.  

 
 
 
Rahul who essentially endorses organic fabrics and slow processes and works with traditional rural textile designers promoting ethnic fabrics/patterns by imbibing in it a contemporary look feels that the time has come for Indian fashion to be on its own. “India needs to find its own sustainable model of growth and similarly Indian fashion needs to delve back to its own roots and find patterns which are acceptable globally and yet which staunchly uphold their Indian roots,” he says.  
 
And why do these patterns need to be the same cliché ones questions Fahd Hussein of brand Onseed which is slowly but steadily capturing a vast client base among the metro youth who are fascinated by their iconoclastic designs. “Indian fashion scene today is intensely boring – the same designs are being replicated again and again. Why does a traditional Indian pattern need to be an image of Krishna Radha or a peacock say? Even off beat motifs, like say posters of B grade Ramsay movies or political pamphlets can create images which are intrinsically Indian,” he says. The brand Onseed which is run by an artist collective (and not fashion designers) aims to create designs that are not for “anybody boring.” Indian youth they feel is ready for such “alternative fashion” and the brand Onseed which is run by a core team that has Fahd Hussein, Somil Vakharia, Shible Ali, Hamza Hussein as its members is confident that at least for most Indian youth in metros the traditional designer wear is losing relevance. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Designer Rina Dhaka however is skeptical about the Indian consumers as well. “The Indian consumers in most cases are reluctant to experiment; when they are buying designer wear they are rather eager to replicate patterns seen in movies/soap. Yes they love ornate designs and the concept less is more is yet to catch on,” she says.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Fashion designer Rahul Mishra sums up: “A fashion designer too is responsible to a great extent; he needs to imbibe a sense of style in his audience by creating unique designs which uphold Indian traditions and are yet ready for global acceptance. It is his responsibility as well to deviate from the traditional fare and educate his clientele about new and alternative patterns.”