India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination

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The Platinum Group successfully deliver a suite of events and have strong roots within the British Asian community.

Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist. A choli is a blouse which is cut to fit the body; it is cropped exposing the midriff and is tied at the back with naaris or ties made from the same cloth.

These images show dancers and goddesses wearing what appears to be a dhoti wrap, a predecessor to the modern sari.

One of the integral aims of the movement was to attain self-sufficiency, and to promote Indian goods while boycotting British goods in the market. Women started wearing more comfortable clothing and exposure to international fashion led to a fusion of western and Indian styles of clothing.From there, one gets to the only part of the exhibition that seems to be put together rather randomly. Silk and cotton were woven into various designs and motifs, each region developing its distinct style and technique. The YSL section was inspired by the Indian stepwell, so the wire mesh kind of feel, which took a lot to create, welding each of the steel pieces together,” Shroff says.

Though a handful of designers existed prior to the 1980s, the late 1980s and the 1990s saw a spurt of growth. But, perhaps tellingly, the designer is now creating a targeted collection of simpler silhouettes, universally appealing colours and accessories for the global audience he wishes to cater to in Dubai, that “still reflects myself and a part of India’s cultural legacy,” he said.Readers and viewers alike, however, are certain to learn just as much from seeing the picture of modern Indian fashion which Bowles has brought forth. Khadi and its products were encouraged by the nationalist leaders over British goods, while also being seen as a means to empower the rural artisans. Marco Polo's Description of the world gives an idea of textile trade of the time, with a mention that Gujarat has the best textiles in the world.