Indian textile industry is regaining influence
Three years ago I attended an exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, The Glamour of Italian Fashion, which looked at the rise of the Made in Italy label since World War II. As one of the Axis powers during World War II, Italy had ended up on wrong side, and was in a shambles. But with democracy in place for over seven decades, and a new spirit enshrined, the country has since focused on its strengths — one of these, arguably, is fashion.
The initiative certainly had the backing of the Italian government. It started with the “Sala Bianca” fashion shows in Florence, and ensured more and more Hollywood stars in Rome, one of Italy’s most fashionable cities.
I couldn’t resist drawing parallels between Italian and Indian industry. India has a rich textile heritage, and yet it seems the country has been really undermining its own fashion industry. Let’s not forget that under the British, yarn and textiles from India proved to be so popular in Europe that they were perceived as a threat to their textile businesses and mills. The British Parliament had to pass The Calico Acts in 1700, 1721 that banned import of Indian textiles to protect its industry.
Tables have since turned. Today luxury houses such as Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent rely on the skilled Indian artisans to produce the best. Of course, the Victoria and Albert Museum show was before the present government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected, and the whole “Make in India” campaign was launched.
A lot has since changed. In the last two years, the Ministry of Textiles under Smriti Irani has tried to reinvigorate the industry. There are campaigns that aim at instilling pride in wearing anything “Make in
Perhaps, wearing something “Indian” will soon be as sartorially sought after as something Italian.
India”. Irani’s campaigns on Twitter and hashtags such as #IWearHandloom, #CottonisCool have created considerable traction among Indians.
And last week we had Textile 2017 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi. Around 15,000 participants from all over the world participated in the event. Of course, we need to remember that the textile industry is a major employment generator in India — so it makes sense for the government to look at this segment. This extensive exhibition hopes to showcase the value chain of India — its “making” skills. The schedule includes talks on “Trends in Indian Cotton” and “Tribal Weaves of India” and there are country sessions on Russia and Bangladesh, too.
So far, no special cachets are associated to fashion that is “Made in India” or even “Make in India”. However, thanks to the fact that Indians are now being as seen as important global spenders and influencers suddenly the India story is at the front of stage. Elie Saab last year took the sari as his main source of inspiration. Alberta Ferretti referenced Kashmir-inspired embroideries and prints in her Resort 2017/2018 collection. Closer to home, Michael Cinco at the Arab Fashion Week showcased a collection called “The Impalpable Dream of Maharaja”. All these factors point at the rising influence of Indian industry on the global map.
It is suddenly cool to be Indian, and so the timing is just perfect for the country’s textile ministry to make the world look at India as a home of colour, drape, textiles, and embroidery. With Rahul Mishra and Manish Arora now being a regular part of the Paris Fashion Week, Indian designers have more credibility than ever.
As they say, better late than never. Perhaps, wearing something “Indian” will soon be as sartorially sought after as something Italian. Sujata Assomull is the Consulting Fashion Editor at