LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FASHION IS AN EVOLVING CONCEPT AND many people who actually own the catwalk don’t ascribe to any one fashion trend or idiom. Over the years, Indians have come into their own as their unique sense of style, years of tradition emerging from the loom (read embroidery, textiles) and a keen understanding of the global market has held them in good stead. Yet, with a number of foreign designers finding their way into the Indian retail space over the last few years, there’s no time like now for these very designers to claim their space and remind everyone that they are ‘the originals’.

In our fashion special, we bring you a clutch of Indian designers, some of whom define the first rung of fashion and have existed ever since the country started playing the game of silhouette, cut, fabric, collection. Our cover boy, Manish Malhotra, is a natural choice to lead the pack as he has always been Bollywood’s fashion favourite, the go-to person for any fashion statement piece that is governed by ethnic Indian sensibilities. This season though, he experiments with a new wave of fashion as he gives Indian wear a slip and embarks on a journey that’s full of flounces and ruffles, cocktail dresses and couture gowns, staying on top of his game and reinventing himself as a designer in tune with the changing needs of a modern world. Others like Ashish Soni and Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla are also doing work this season that’s a big departure from their standard oeuvre as they stride with the times.

With India becoming an important market for brands looking to expand their Asian footprint, Parisian label Longchamp has now set up its second Indian store in Mumbai. Others like jewellery brand Forevermark have figured that the way forward is to collaborate with local designers (like Sabyasachi) as the Indian market embraces their glittering wares enthusiastically, given their universal appeal. And, the world of enticing fragrances from Jo Malone London find themselves drawn to India as the British luxury and style major launches in the country with its first boutique at Palladium, Mumbai.. The changing notion of beauty and luxury is viewed through the fashionable lens of brands like Bombay Perfumery and Kama Ayurveda that are drawing on their Indian roots to dazzle the world.

Fashion has no favourites and each season brings a new muse, a new enchantment. Flit between the worlds of glitz and glamour as you experience its many facets.