There isn’t much that is distinctly Indian about the designs of Cartier and Christian Dior. However, when British anthropologist Phyllida Jay began writing her new book, Inspired by IndiaFrench fashion houses that’s where the road leads.
She had doubted that could happen. That’s part of the reason Jay chose his theme: India’s influence on global aesthetics through the ages. It was inspired by the discoveries she made while working on her doctoral thesis on khadi in contemporary and luxury fashion. She was so curious at the time, she knew she had to tell the bigger story.
Fashion plays a huge role in reinforcing or destabilizing stereotypes; and in how we sublimate the idea of a country or culture, says Jay. Inspired by India is an attempt to set the record of what the Indian aesthetic has really brought to the world and where India fits into today’s global fashion scene.
The fine book, with over 250 carefully sourced images, was published by Roli in India in August, released in the UK in October and in the US in November. Excerpt from an interview.
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What are some surprises people can expect to stumble across in the book?
One key thing my book tries to do is show that European dominance in the luxury sector is a relatively recent historical development. And to show that Indian textiles, crafts, jewelry and other forms of design have had a very significant influence on the development of international fashion throughout history and still play a role. like to this day.
Indian embroidery is an integral part of the global luxury goods supply chain. I did an investigative report on this, published in The New York Times in 2020; Before that, very few companies in the US were transparent about it. But as early as the 13th century, the Venetian traveler Marco Polo wrote that “embroidery” [in India] done with more finesse than anywhere else in the world.” Some of the traditions he refers to continue to inform contemporary global luxury.
Meanwhile, in the 14th century, the Indo-Persian poet Amir Khusrau wrote of Indian muslin as an ethereal fabric. Muslin has been integral to fashion and luxury in Britain and France, but its Indian heritage is slowly losing recognition.
It is important to remove the fashion history and perception of what luxury is and where it comes from. One of my favorite discoveries for the book involves sari. One often finds superficial allusions to it in Western fashion design, filtered through Bollywood. So it was exciting to discover a very different story of the ways in which it has inspired radical approaches to garment construction, pleating and bodywork, in the work of Mr. designers such as the French Madame Gres, the Italian Gianfranco Ferre and Gianni Versace, and to see the continuity of those approaches in the cutting-edge work of contemporary Indian designers such as Gaurav Gupta, Amit Aggarwal and Arjun Saluja.
Meanwhile, in the work of Belgian designer Dries van Noten, you see imprints of Indian textiles, colors, textures and techniques, but expressed in less traveled streets. If there’s one takeaway that I want everyone to draw from my book, it’s the continuity and pervasiveness of India’s aesthetic, arts and crafts excellence over time. .
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It can also be quite complicated, right, inspired by another culture? Where do you think is the line between inspiration and appropriation?
This is an extremely difficult but extremely important question. Inspiration is a rare quality. It involves in-depth research, careful attention to detail, collaboration, credit, and representation. There must be great sensitivity to how certain things “move” when taken out of context.
I’m not sure that crediting one’s inspiration is enough. I think more brands have the potential to do more in-depth research and showcase specific crafts and artisan communities in a more visible and fair way. This is important because inspiration comes from the multi-generational knowledge, hundreds of types of skills and adaptability that highly skilled artisans have to meet the different requirements of different brands. international luxury fashion brand.
Something doesn’t have to look like “India” to be India in its physical nature. In fact, the book is about how the work of Indian artisans has been rendered invisible by the marketing and labeling processes that set the stage for the dreamy European savoir-faire scene. . That must change.
I also believe that luxury corporations need more transparency and commitment when it comes to ensuring that their supply chains are truly clean and ethical.
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What should we as consumers do to support the very unique but endangered communities and artisans in India?
There is a problem that the brands that represent India’s supply chain are “craft”, with all its romantic associations with the individual skill, community, agency of the artisan and the human connection, when in fact they are actually using the handmade products in a way that is more suitable for skilled craftsmanship. workers in fast fashion chains.
As the Indian fashion industry consolidates into major brands and retail networks, we see more of these problems and criticisms emerge. This is an indispensable problem for Boho-chic fashion brands, which often represent an absolute paradox: producing fast fashion with the idea of slow craftsmanship.
The way forward should involve greater supply chain transparency and more honest labeling of where the product’s elements are manufactured. The real losers are the artisans, and any strategy should aim to tackle the invisible system and exploit them.
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