India is an ancient country whose
clothing traditions go back thousands of years. The culture of this country was
inspired since the earliest days by the beliefs and practices of Hindu religion
and it also shaped up the trends of clothing that were worn by the men and
women who were a part of this culture. However, while it is true that the
clothing practices of this country goes back to thousands of years, the fashion
industry of India is relatively new and dates back to only a few decades. Over
the years, Indian fashion and Bollywood sense of style has grown hand in hand,
with each intimately influencing the other.
Ever since the earliest times,
India had a rich handloom textile industry that shaped up the clothing trends
of this country. The textiles of India are appropriate for the country’s
tropical climate. The artisans of this country have played a major role in
developing the different types of distinct clothing styles that have their
roots in the various regions of India. For the longest time, Indian fashion
referred to the handloom industry and the products that were developed by the
artisans who worked in different parts of India. However, an organized fashion
industry has now developed in India thanks to the tireless efforts of many
independent-minded fashion designers who have helped to develop a signature
identity of Indian fashion.
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| Fashionable Sarees available for online shopping |
Looking back to the early post
independence days, one can find that the mainstay of Indian fashion was the
traditional garments such as dhoti, sari, ghagra choli and salwar kameez.
During this time, India still didn’t have any distinct fashion identity, except
that the clothing items were still heavily influenced by the work of
traditional artisans and lacked individual interpretation as is the norm with
the current fashion garments. A distinct aspect of traditional Indian fashion
was embroidery works that adorned many garments and enhanced their value
tremendously. It was during the 60s when certain fashion designers in India
started to work with the traditional artwork and embroidery styles and started
to redefine them in their own way in their designs while at the same time maintaining
their original beauty.
A new form of Indian fashion
inspired by the design elements of the west came into vogue during this time.
Some fashion designers started to focus specifically on these western elements
while designing their collections. There were also those who developed their
unique styles by combining both eastern and western elements, and fusion
fashion came into being. Ethnic inspired fashion, on the other hand, began to
gain prominence on the runways. With time, the rising fashion designers in
India started to design clothing specifically for the Bollywood industry. The
movies that are made in Bollywood have always been known to explore a wide
range of themes. Consequently, the clothes worn by the characters in the movies
help them to create the appropriate image for their roles. Fashion designers in
India designed mainly three forms of clothing items for Bollywood films; one form
focuses particularly on western outfits, the second form is primarily ethnic
and the third form is a fusion of the two.
Over the years, Indian fashion
has been intimately related to the Bollywood film industry, so much so that
most men and women in this country prefer buying clothing items that are worn
by their screen idols. This has significantly influenced fashion trends in this
country and the way the people in India think about clothing. As the fashion industry in India grows further, we can expect much more intimate collaboration
between the two and new trends developing through it.
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