Megha Kapoor, Head of Editorial Content at Vogue India, looks at the past, present, and future of Indian fashion through the lens of tradition

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Contents

Her story Indian tradition Indian youth Models Also read:

Her story

Megha Kapoor was born in India, grew up in New Zealand, and graduated from Melbourne University in Australia. Although she majored in law and politics, it was her curiosity about fashion that led her to delve into this field. She started her career trajectory as an intern at Vogue Australia and Vogue India. In September 2021, she was appointed Vogue India’s Head of Editorial Content by Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Global Editorial Director of Vogue, and Chief Content Officer of Conde Nast. Her style is all about being comfortable in what you wear and often opts for masculine silhouettes like boxy shirts, layered over skirts or trousers, this also translates into her Indian wear wardrobe.

Shirt, Karu Research; Denim skirt, Miu Miu

She picked Raw Mango as her favourite Indian designer and chose to wear one of Sanjay Garg’s simple but beautifully handcrafted saris for this story. “The sari embraces all bodies and that’s so beautiful,” she says, claiming its stitchless nature as the biggest advantage of the garment. “It fits all sizes and has a poetic silhouette that changes with the body.”

Indian tradition

The core of traditional Indian fashion is couture. Indian couture is characterised by the function of ‘bridal wear’ for brides. Representative designers include Sabyasachi, Rohit Bal, and Rahul Mishra, Ekaya Banaras and Gaurav Gupta. What they have in common is the use of ancient craftsmanship and colourful Indian fabrics in magnificent designs. The craftsmanship that originated from it was also extremely attractive to Western designers. Dries Van Noten, who needed delicate embroidery work and handicrafts, started working with an Indian embroidery companies in 1987. In addition, the 2022 S/S collection featured Ikat weaving technology, and the kantha stitch.

With a focus on Indian handicraft techniques such as kalam kari, the show once again proved its love for Indian craftsmanship. Dior also recognized the nobility of Indian fashion. Since 1946, Indian artisans have been commissioned to embroider for the atelier, and since 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been collaborating in earnest with Karishma Swali, Artistic Director of Chanakya International, a non-profit organization. and the relationship has become stronger with every collection. Recently, the 2023 fall show was held at Mumbai’s iconic ‘Gateway of India’. Thanks to this idea, the Indian fashion world took notice.

Indian youth

Who is Mega Kapoor’s pick as the current Indian fashion icon in 2023? Diljit Dosanjh. Singer-songwriter Diljit Dosanjh is famous for wearing a traditional turban on his head and creating a modern street look by mixing the likes of Balenciaga and Celine. In particular, for his Coachella appearance, Dosanjh matched Nike sneakers with the white traditional ‘Punjabi Tamba’, which became a hot topic. Fashion keywords for young Indians, including deals, can be defined as ‘pragmatism’, ‘comfort’ and ‘wearable fashion’. Young designers from brands like Itoh and Péro, and Karu Research, whose clothes joined Megha in this pictorial, adopt traditional craft techniques, reuse fabrics, and focus on modern silhouettes. This is a smart way to implement sustainable fashion. The case of Karu Research, which was recently introduced to the public and worn by Kendrick Lamar, is considered to be the emergence of a new Indian glam look.

Blouse and skirt, Gaurav Gupta

Models

When you hear the word ‘Indian fashion model’, the first people that come to mind are Lakshmi Menon, who emerged as Riccardo Tisci’s muse, and Pooja Mor, who debuted in a Louis Vuitton show in 2016.

It is becoming more common in the fashion world to encounter Indian models with exceptionally sparkling eyes. “Introducing the models is the part I want to talk about most passionately!” said Kapoor, introducing three new models to note. Avanti Nagrath, Ashley Radjarame, and Amrit. Starting with the 2022 Bottega Veneta show, the 20-year-old Avanti appeared in campaigns for Burberry, Chanel, and Ferragamo, and became the first Indian model to open a Versace show having been chosen amongst the supermodels including Bella and Gigi Hadid. Another name to remember is the 19-year-old who entered the fashion world with the 2020 Prada Resort campaign, Ashley Radjarame. She could also be seen at the Louis Vuitton 2023 Pre-Fall show held at Jamsu Bridge in South Korea in April and at the Jacquemus collection held at Versailles. Amrit, 22, was cast as a model for French Vogue while studying at the Paris College of Art. Kapoor also featured her on the cover of Vogue India in the summer of 2022. Lastly, Zinnia Kumar and Dhyany Vyas from Mumbai, Khushi Hegde, Roselynn Raj, and Maumita Bora are also striking faces to note. In particular, Kumar, who excels in various fields from being a university professor to environmental activist and model, has no shortage of expressing India’s culture, fashion, and potential.