{"id":34419,"date":"2023-04-06T11:58:32","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T07:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?post_type=articles&p=34419"},"modified":"2023-04-17T14:49:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T10:49:32","slug":"india-fashion-moment-its-about-time","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/india-fashion-moment-its-about-time\/","title":{"rendered":"India Is Having A Major Fashion Moment, And It\u2019s About Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtesy of Dior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, Mumbai played host to Christian Dior<\/a>\u2019s Autumn 2023 collection. Not only was it Christian Dior\u2019s first India-based show, but the country\u2019s first-ever standalone show from a European luxury brand. It truly marked a moment in history, and the internet agreed; clips from the show could be seen on all corners of TikTok, Instagram and the like. Then with snaps of high-profile celebs like Gigi Hadid<\/a> and Zendaya surfacing in saris soon after, it became undeniable: India<\/a> is finally<\/em> having a major fashion moment, and it\u2019s about time.<\/p>\n

Fashion<\/a> has long been lauded for its exclusivity. Its elusive, slightly snooty, cutthroat reputation has always been accepted as part of its charm \u2013\u00a0a quirk, if you will \u2013 and while movies like The Devil Wears Prada<\/a> make for addictive watching, there\u2019s no denying its old-fashioned approach just doesn\u2019t align with today\u2019s society. As the popularity of social media has grown, so too has our demand for inclusivity, diversity and equal opportunities. We\u2019re able to see more, digest more, but we also expect more. Everything feels much more tangible. Whereas models may have once been mysterious and elite, they\u2019re now influencers<\/em> \u2013 existing on and commenting on all of the same platforms as we do \u2013 and we need their influence to leave a positive mark on society. Fashion\u2019s voices are louder than ever before, which is why it\u2019s so important that they\u2019re used for positive change. Similarly, our voices are louder too, and we\u2019re finally being heard.<\/p>\n

Thanks to this, we\u2019re already seeing greater body and racial diversity within the industry, but we still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to cultural representation. Fashion is universal, and the industry should be as such. Fashion week<\/a> collections should represent the rich cultural mix of the world they\u2019re appealing to, rather than basing designs on a tiny, Western slice of it. Say it with me: fashion is not just for the West.<\/em><\/p>\n

In an event in London<\/a> last month, Megha Kapoor \u2013 Vogue India\u2019s Head of Editorial Content \u2013 said something that really stuck with me:<\/p>\n

\u201cI realised we don\u2019t make any content in our mother tongue. All of our content is in English. When I asked why this was, I was told that our language just doesn\u2019t seem \u2018high fashion\u2019 or \u2018elevated\u2019 enough. There\u2019s like this weird colonial hangover that makes us feel less-than.\u201d<\/p>\n

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