India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination

This book explores the influence of Indian dress, textiles, and embroidery on Western fashion, featuring paintings, fashion magazine editorials, and portraits of influential people. It showcases traditional and contemporary designs by renowned designers, highlighting the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of Indian textiles.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

This captivating and visually stunning volume, featuring contributions from experts from India, Europe, and North America, has been published to accompany a major exhibition that pays homage to the profound historical contributions of Indian dress, textiles, and embroidery to Western fashion. Spanning from the introduction of chintz dressmaking fabrics in the eighteenth century to the early nineteenth-century vogue for light Indian fabrics, paisley, and chikan embroideries, this comprehensive volume explores the multifaceted realities of empire and cultural appropriation.

The pages are adorned with vibrant hues of royal blue, marigold, and fuchsia, intricate ikat and calico patterns, and sumptuous textiles that captivate the senses. Archival and contemporary fashion stories, accompanied by kaleidoscopic images by renowned photographers such as Henry Clarke in Udaipur in 1967, Arthur Elgort in Jaipur in 1999, and Mikael Jansson in Goa with Indian actress Lakshmi Menon in 2011, transport readers to the heart of India's rich cultural heritage.

Renowned designers like Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli, Pierre Balmain, Zandra Rhodes, Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Gianni Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen have reimagined traditional Indian embroidery techniques, design motifs, and dress forms such as saris, jodhpurs, and turbans. In addition, a plethora of contemporary Indian designers have contributed their unique perspectives, pushing the boundaries of traditional craftsmanship and creating stunning pieces that blend Indian heritage with modern aesthetics.

This captivating volume serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Indian fashion on global fashion, highlighting the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and innovation that has shaped the world of style over centuries. It is a must-read for fashion enthusiasts, historians, and anyone interested in exploring the intersection of cultures and fashion.

Weight: 1660g
Dimension: 242 x 301 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780847871100