Work By Ashish Chawla
Fashion intrigues everyone, it makes your mind jump to fashion houses like Prada and Hermès, to footwear, fragrances, haute couture, and the glamorous lifestyle of those who are a part of this industry. But it’s not just about flashy colors and expensive fabric, it’s so much more than that; it’s a way of expression.
The fashion industry today in India has found home and recognition through designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rohit Bahl, Ritu Kumar, and Manish Malhotra. These pioneers of fashion design have made fashion what it is today, but the art began long back in the 18th century when Rose Bertin, dressmaker to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, helped the queen “combat her enemies with style”, through her meticulous designs. Bertin is considered to be the first internationally famous fashion designer. While Charles Fredrick Worth was the first designer to establish his fashion house, “House of Worth.” He not only revolutionized the business of fashion but also made ‘haute couture'(creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing) popular.
Masks By The Ink Bucket
Fashion in India boomed post independence, as a part of revival of Indian textile industry. Ritu Kumar, a designer from Kolkata extensively used hand block printing to establish “ethnic chic”. These movements in the past have shaped and changed the course of fashion, the current pandemic may also act, as such a time of revival.
A number of changes accompanying COVID can be seen in fashion industry; Clothing and accessories sales have plummeted, fashion may shift from extravagance to minimalism, physical stores will have a lower footfall, new materials may surface which help at such a time of crisis, people are more willing to procure local goods, and of course, the new fashion trend- Mask!
“Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life”, Quote by Bill Cunningham
Makes you think how the mask, now turned a fashion accessory has helped people feel safe during this pandemic.
If the world of fashion interests you, take a look at e- learning sites like Skillshare, edX, Coursera, etc. For a more academic study some colleges in India, like various National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Pearl Academy, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, provide a degree course.
The ever evolving world of fashion is best portrayed by words from ,
“Fashion is like eating, you shouldn’t stick to the same menu”! Quote By Kenzo Takada