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Sabyasachi Mukherjee, an Indian designer,
has said that the international fashion world is starting
to sit up and take notice of India's age-old textiles
and fabrics for a new fashion sensibility.
"International buyers expect only saris and lehenga-cholis
from us," Mukherjee said on return from a successful
debut at the Milan fashion week.
"They expect heavy embroidery, they
expect mirror work, they've only seen our handicrafts
from Rajasthan and Gujarat - but there's so much more
to India."
That's why, said the 29-year-old designer,
he didn't take any of that to Milan. Instead, his collection
had a range of delicately stained and printed skirts,
dresses and jackets at the event, where names like Giorgio
Armani and Roberto Cavalli have sent down India-inspired
lines.
Mukherjee showed a variation of his India
fashion week collection earlier this year called the Frog
Princess. At Milan, he was part of the pret-a-porter segment
- his collection priced between $40 and $800 a piece.
"We are about colour and I don't
think anyone can change that," said Mukherjee, who
showed a kaleidoscope of hues from tea to amber and berry.
"No Indian designer should showcase
himself as an Indian designer anymore - we are all global
designers, from India," smiled Mukherjee, who showed
at a fashion week rampant with the India influence.
Armani models sashayed whites and khakis
reminiscent of the colonial Raj complete with jodhpurs
and horse riding jackets in the spring/summer 2005 Emporio
collection.
Roberto Cavalli brought all the fun and
frolic in his showing of the Just Cavalli line, where
models emerged from behind faux palms against the backdrop
of a neon pink outline of the Taj Mahal.
Mukherjee believes that his is the truly
unique Indian voice. "It obviously helps that I have
the whole treasure trove of India before me - they know
only bits and pieces."
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