Focus On Fashion: Indian Flair

Western culture is developing a grand love affair with the distinctive fashion style that is India. Along with Indian music and spirituality, Indian Clothing is having a huge impact on the mainstream identities of western style and culture. The latest designer shows from Armani, Fendi, and Miyake all draw on elements from the exotic Indian culture.Dries Van Noten, one of the new fashion leaders, recently presented a collection of layered chiffon wraps, dresses, saree, and kurta look-alikes.

The color palette these western designers are drawing from is as vibrant as a Rajasthan desert at sundown,using rich golds, reds, and greens.

Indian designers like Sunita Shankar, Vandanna Roy, Ritu Beri, Monisha Jaising, Ravi Bajaj and Krishna Mehta are leading the way in redefining Indian fashion. Rohit Bal presented his latest collection, Sanskrit, at a New York benefit gala organized by Children's Hope,and stunned the audiencewith exquisite embroidery, beadwork, and tie-dye fashions, with a decidedly Indian flair.

Fashion Street has been aptly described as common man's celebrated 'shopping arcade' It is haunted by youngsters and college going girls, who throng to the bazaar. The street is close to the famous Metro Cinema and Dhobi Talao.In fact, it is a huddle of little shops on Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Readymade garments are one of Mumbai's chief exportsand the surplus lands up at Fashion Street.They cost only a fraction of the priceand are grabbed by fashion conscious collegians fresh off the rack.Bargaining, of course is half the fun of buying. Begin at half the quoted price and work your way gradually upwards,then follow though with a thorough appraisal of the goods: much of the stuff hereis rejected by quality conscious importersand likely to have a missing button or crooked collar. But by and large the clothes are of good quality, trendy,and probably the cheapest anywhere in the world.So walk into Fashion Street and shop for your wardrobe.