Fashion and Culture in India

Fashion and Culture in IndiaLanguage disguises the thought, so that from the outside be of the get outableing app arl angiotensin converting enzyme arseholenot infer the form of the thought they stuffe, because the external form of the garb is constructed with quite another object than to let the form of the body be recognized (Calefato 2004. p 13).The occidental shade is cultivating a grand love affair with the distinctive panache port in India. A pertinacious with Indian music and spirituality, Indian array is gather uping a considerable impact on main stream identi forces of Hesperian style and finish. The main pattern of this essay is to demonstrate how this emerging trend relates to the ever-changing face of Indian way.Fashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. To some its an stratagem form, to others its handle a surgical incision of their culture and religion but to roughly it is a method of utilizing cloth to show or hide something close themselves. Fashion can be used to serve as an extension of ones have got nature or to disguise ones own true self. One of the major points here is, how does art, culture and industry, the three aspects of life, relate to panache? The English dictionary states that, art is a tender skill opposed to character. There argon versatile for and against pipeline on whether stylus is an art form. One view that favors the argument is, art is a visual medium whose creators respond to the same stimuli as painters and sculptors and homogeneous art, it involves immense creativity as well as mastery of technique and materials. The view against it is, artists supposedly are not concerned with selling, they are consumed with creating whole kit and boodle of art, not producing a collection for regularly scheduled showings (Rhodes, 2003). Culture on the other hand is basic tot entirelyyy an intellectual development at a certain time and a certain dwelling and refers to certain human behavior and activities that conclude to significance and importance whereas industry is a segment of economy, concerned with the production of goods and service. It is an essential component of most societies and fashion is a huge contributor to it. The major fashion cities have continuous contr everywheresy between each other and due to their contrasting strategies gravel cognise as the cultural industries. The history of costume, Barthes (1983) says, has a general epistemological value. By history of costume, he means a socio-semiotic reading of the phenomenon of clothing as an articulate language through and through which it is possible to analyse a culture, as system and process, institution and individual act, educeive reserve and significant order. The nature of fashion, however, constantly changes and counselinges on impertinentness, or the illusion of something new which means that signs and symbols are transient. According to Woodruffe-Burton fashion is a visual c ommentary on the supererogatory of a post modern-dayistic culture, the staring(a) foil for a world of fragmented and commensurate identities and personage, offering a dynamic procession of free blow signs and symbolic exchanges (Woodruffe-Burton 1998, page 302).Choices make in relation to new clothes are unremarkably controlled by the current fashion look as defined within the fashion system and realized by the availability of fresh goods (Alexandra, 2004). According to Barthes (1983), the conceit of new lifestyle and fashion styles is sensory faculty while the fashion commodities become signifiers. He also points out that the manifest form of fashion commodities decrease in value and are after relinquished when the new signifier readily provides a replacement for the previous(prenominal) signifier. In addition, Baudrillad (1981) referred to fashion as a compulsion to innovate signs plain arbitaray and perpetual production of meaning a cast of meaning read. The meaning s drive individuals, to seek out those new commodities that could signify them. According to Vinken, The discourse on fashion is constructed by the articulations of three major conceptual articulations the portion of beingness and classical appearance the division of the sexes and inseparably linked to the latter the division of the classes. In modern times, there has been a marked tendency for the frame 1 of these conceptualities whether it appears in its philosophical form or in its ethical exercise to be incorporated into the sociological variations of the divisions of gender and class. This phenomenon of compression has been compounded by the fact that the paradigm of the division of the sexes has all toldowed itself to be grafted onto the discourse on class, possessive until the eighteenth century, with the same ease that, in conventional thought, the moral reprimand of vanity let itself be have with the philosophical suspicion of mere appearance(Vinken, p4) Indi a during its earlier days to be clothed in fashion was seen as a mark of privilege enjoyed exclusively by upper class. The dismay end of the society didnt have the access to it due to the dominance of traditional clothing which followed intensively during that time. But now it has changed for the better and is being enjoyed by virtually everyone at every social level because of the democratization of fashion which has helped in mass production during the Industrial Revolution. The appearance of avant-garde architects from lacquer in the early 1980s was believed to be the counterbalance of the postmodern phenomenon in the field of fashion. It allows o inditeness to a great variety of styles and genres and the credenza of Asiatic designers which was considered as the break strike down of the racial boundaries among designers who were largely white. Post modernity allows heathen minorities, from women, lesbians and gay men to state find or retrieve an individuality (Wilson 199 4). The definition of what is swagger was gradually decreasing in its nature with the beginning of postmodernism which eliminated differences and with the end of the autonomous sphere of fine art. What was usually worn as on a lower floorwear now could be worn as outerwear. What used to be a hole for the neck could be worn as an armhole. circumscribe of fashions have become diverse and have redefined themselves implying the breakdown of the clothing system, itself that is, of sartorial conventions. The emergence of the new modern India seems to be the buss word for the new younger generation exposed to the vision of the new millennium as India opened up its doors to the west, there came a need to create a new identity. Thus was the idea of taking Indian traditional fabrics and styles and have them with western cuts and lines, to appeal to larger segments and masses. Due to these developments, fashion gained in acceptance out of selected cities into the most conservative categor yholds. The new emerging trend catered expression to the concept of Indian fashion boutiques, due to which women started moving out of the house and those typical tailor master were out of fashion. When more and more women started doing job, the online boutiques prove to be of great help as they can find everything under one roof, from fabric, designing, stitching and accessories (Chawla, 2006). Earlier to have a desired design, crusade was needed to be put on to run from haunt to shop to buy the fabric. Once the fabric is bought, the matching colour of laces and buttons need to bought and all these need to be given to the tailor for completing the stitching of the garment. Now, all these headaches are been taken care by the boutiques which keep a sleep with range of stitched and unstitched garments from casuals to party wear. The mall culture and family stores has dominated and is steadily growing in India. These are the places which are starting to become a favorite fashion hub for upper and middle class state. These stores sell fashion garments of all age groups and sexes and are considered as shopping destination.Most Indians express a great deal through their clothing. Their quench for the ultimate apotheosis plays a great deal in their choice of beautifully slanting dramatic and sensuous garments. Highly lively colors woven in to signify the ornate designs can be found resonating through the whole of India. Lot of western influences has created modern designs which has been complicated into the basic expression of Indian outfit and that are the dresses that we find these days. So that makes us wonder, what was Indian fashion actually like when there were no designers displaying their haute couture to pamper a luxurious line of clientele? Well the answer to it is, India had its own bod of customs and traditions followed from generation to generations, the presence of it are even felt today. A surprising fact about ancient Indian fashion was th at the clothes were not stitched together at all because most of the clothing was ready-to-wear, as soon as they left the loom. The ancient Indian fashion did not really have garments that were sewed together. The examples of these are the dhoti, the sari, the turban and the scarf. The seduce of wearing dhoti by men and women were seen as a familiar situate since India always go through hot and humid climatic conditions and these were made with cotton which suits the condition. The traditional Indian Dhoti, the Scarf or Uttariya and the popular turban are sedate seen visible in India as passel proceed to wear them and hence remains as an integral part of Indian culture. Indian bandaging styles are marked by many variations, both(prenominal) religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles (Tirthankar, 1999). One of the most universally worn traditional dresses, the sari, is essentially a rectangular cloth measuring about 6 yards long. It passes through the legs around the body and enclose in at the tail end. Its worn in varied styles and is made from materials like pure silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different patterns. It is worn by women as the lower garment combined with a Stanapatta (a thin band that wraps horizontally around torso) which forms the basic wear. This consists of garments that do not have to be stitched, the stanapatta being simply fastened in a knot at the back (Osella, 2000).Although the saris and the dhotis have never deceased out of fashion, with the Persian influences in Indian fashion, women started wearing long tunicas that went down to the knees with trousers that were known aschuridars. It also includes the very popular, versatile, comfortable and stylishshalwar-kameez. Thesalwaris a loose pajama like trouser whose legs are wide at the top and narrow at the ankle whereas kameez is a long tunic that goes down till the knees, the sides of which are left open below the waist-line, e xpectant the wearer great liberty of movement. The basic design of this has been modified in various ways since ancient days (Jessica Pudussery, 2009). Apart from clothes, Gold plays a major character in Indian fashion and the use of it has been a tradition, long enjoyed by Indian women since early ages. Ornaments made of gold, combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are the most popular ones. As the story goes on, it is said that traditionally Indian ornaments had an sparing value for women. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughters inheritance from her father (which was earlier referred to as Dowry). Though this no nightlong holds true, a brides ornaments is considered as a financial security for her throughout life.In India the appearance of dressing styles is more towards a cosmopolitan way quite a than region specific the cause of this change can be reflected back to the early days of Indian Independence. Later on globalization boug ht about huge changes and this can be considered as one of the major factors witnessed in Indian fashion industry, were significance noticeable changes in styles have happened in connection with Indian dressing. Indias rapidly expanding economy has provided the basis for a implicit in(p) change, the emergence of what is called a new vanguard increasingly dictating Indias political and economic direction (India child, 2000). There can been seen an increasingly popularity towards western mode of dressing styles among the urban youth of both sexes. Some young women are severe to incorporate the latest fashion trends within their wardrobe while still following some of the traditional Indian dressing customs. The women youth marketplace is significant not only because of it sheer size and the spending occasion but since they are the trend setters for rest of the population. Young women generally represent more emphasis on their appearance than older people and thence clothing occup ies a more central billet. They are more liable(predicate) to be fashion conscious and hence are frequent buyers and they usually prefer wearing casuals (Gowswamy Roy, 2007). Although traditional dress is still worn in India, according to V.P. Sharma, an Indian worker workings as a weaver finch in the traditional handloom sari industry in Bihar since 1988, blames the trend in womens changing tastes for handloom saris, a simple cotton sari that many Indian women wear daily. The plain designs and less appealing colors, plays no significant role for a new modern woman like Rashmi Raniwal who is a 22 year old sales assistant. Sari? she says giggling, I never wear it casually, only for formal occasions. She further adds that women in India welcomes change as it is seen as a mark of progress. There is a common view that people would consider, a woman clothed in western formal wear is more empowered than her traditional counter parts. (Time Magazine 2009).In globalized modern India me ns fashion hasnt changed significantly from season to season whereas business clothing has undergone fewer changes but its more of being professional than being fashionable. Personal hygienics is part of the success equation, freshly scrubbed wins out all over intemperately fragranced. The finishing touch for Indian business professionals is his choice of accessories like briefcase, portfolio and pen but when it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes would make things perfect and professional. Its all about presenting themselves in a way that makes the business clients see comfortable and confident on them. Dressing for success is still the prescript that is being followed. It was during the late 1970s and 80s the importance of women in work place began to have a prominent role than ever before. They gradually travel into positions that had been traditionally held by men. Many of them even thought that they need to replica te males business clothing to look appropriate for the position the outcome was, women seen dressed to kill(p) in skirted suits and jackets with tailored blouses. While the business women now wear trousers to work, she does it with the intention to look professional. (Doris, 2005). Like the men the same overall rules apply to womens work atmosphere as well, business clothing is not a musing of the latest fashion trend but it is to notice herself as a professional. They think that they should be noticed for who they are and their professional skills rather than the fashionable clothes they wear. The business wear should be appropriate for the industry and the position they hold within the industry.In the 1960s and 70s, this whole bit of buildup of riches in India was still suffering from a Gandhian hangover. Even though there were a whole lot of families who were wealthy all over India from North to South, all their lifestyles were very low key. They were not exhibitionist or were not into the whole consumer culture. The trend has now changed completely and we can see a complete lifestyle transformation on spending habits from cadre phone, holiday destination to latest fashion, which earlier would have triggered a sense impression of guilt that in a nation like India a kind of vulgar exhibition of wealth is contradictory to its own values. Consumerism has now become an Indian value and the new Indian middle class is devising its voice heard everywhere. The middle class is hard to define precisely, is bracketed on either side by the upper and lower echelons. It is not a single stratum of society but straddles town and countryside. It encompasses prosperous farmers, professional workers, business people, military personnel and myriad others, all actively working towards a prosperous life (Fernandes, 2006). Members of the upper class which is around 1 percent of the population, are owners of large properties, components of exclusive clubs and vacationers i n foreign lands, and include industrialists, former maharajas, movie stars and top executives. Below the middle class is mayhap a third of the population who are ordinary farmers, trades people, artisans and professional workers (Britannica 2009).In todays fashion conscious society, with numeral number of designers, it would be a tricky to note down some of the top fashion designers all over the world. The superiority of designer clothing gives one the satisfaction of owing a designer piece that is unique in every way. The emergence of western concepts of displaying fashion shows has now become a common event in India. The so called catwalk models started displaying collections of designers on ramp. It was in 1932, the first fashion catwalk was organized in India by Catherine Courney. Now it can be seen as a common every day event with many conceptual and theme ground shows. Indians have started exploring new avenues with their modern hybrid fashion trends which is a desegregate of the old traditional and the new modern and is gearing up to planetary exposure. This fact can be proved by the existence of 80 plus fashion schools in India were young vibrant designers are handy to face the international arena. Recently, some of the worlds famous fashion designers like Armani, Fendi and Myiake all have been fascinated and drawn by the elements of the exotic Indian culture and traditions (Mark 2008). India, which perfectly mixes the spirit of adventure, the sense of mystery and majesty with the principles of elegance, sophistication and modernity, has long been a wonderful source of inspiration for many internationally acclaimed fashion designers. In Paris, Dries Van Naton, (The Telegraph, 2009) one of the new fashion leaders and the member of the so- called Belgain Four presented a collection of layered chiffon raps dresses saris and kurtha looks alikes. The color palettes of these modern western designers are drawing from the colors of vibrant Indian Rajast han Desert at sundown using rich golds red and green. Fashion designers are credit for their mastery in embedding their creations with works of art that embellish the beauty of a woman. Its a fact that all of us are different from each other and seldom have the perfect figure and elegant personality that should be flaunted. Its also a truth that nobody is perfect, we all diversify in height, color and characteristics. Its the magical hands of the fashion designers that transform one through intelligent smart dressing. They shape up the body in the most modest manner and make people look stun and sensuous. There is something unique about every designer, one might focus on ethnic styling while the other on hottest western collections. The Indian movie industry has contributed and provided inspiration for the gloriously rich Technicolor summer fashion. Asia had a huge influence on the spring/summer 2002 designer catwalks and this resulted in the high street awash with bright turquois e, fuchsia, brocade and emerald tops, skirts and trousers (Colin 2004).With the changing time, the Indian fashion designers have brought about a storm in this glamor world with their commendably fabulous variety both internationally and locally. A huge chunk of latest fashion is made out of expensive designer clothing. These range from expensive saris to other traditional outfits which are stitched with semi-precious stones. These are exclusively made to cater the taste and preference of particular individuals to be worn during special occasions. Some even focus on modern expensive western fashion brands to make their presence felt. All these trends can be seen in Indias growing class of the super-rich which constitutes the maharajas and other like pencil lead movie stars and industrialists. According to CapGemini Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific Wealth Report 2008, the number of Indians with more than $1 million in assets has grown since last year by 22%, to 167,000, more than in any o ther Asiatic country. Finally, Indian fashion beauties on the world stage cannot be ignored or left out of fashion since its the women beauties of India who bought about major changes in outlook of fashion, though they were left behind in the early days. Lara Dutta (Miss domain 2000) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World 2000) are the few to name as the world celebrated Indian beautys who contributed to these changes. Indian fashion got International exposure and acclamation through the medium of such beauty contests. Unlike uniforms, the way we dress of our own accord involves a number of subconscious decisions. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, in a sense everything has been through with(p) before. This is coming closer to obvious reality, although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost certain that women will use fashion as an extension of their freedom and being no longer limited by the boundaries of class. Now people like to dress in style which is accept ed globally and has become an aspect of ones identity and personality.