Lungis, bindis, sherwanis rule Milan runway

New Delhi : If the desi touch in recent collections by international luxury labels such as Chanel, Louboutin and Ermengildo Zegna were not enough indication, the ongoing menswear week in the world’s fashion capital, Milan, has firmly established that India is on the minds of international designers.

The opening day of the Fashion Week on Saturday saw a dose of Indian spirituality, with designer Frankie Morello’s fall-winter collection showing models wearing silk lungis with a gold border and sporting bindis on their foreheads and rudraksha beads around their neck.

Dolce and Gabbana too showcased a range of embroidered coats inspired by the Indian sherwani. Fashion blog fashionscandal.com quoted Morello as saying, “A journey, a meditation tour, from the city to the Himalayas.” Closer home, designers say that when it comes to men’s fashion, the west has been borrowing from Indian heritage fashion for quite a while.

“Indian men’s fashion is now considered a part of global mainstream fashion. Be it sherwani or jodhpuris, Indian aesthetics inspire the west,” says Designer Anjana Bhargav. “India is now an inspiration, not just for luxury labels but also high street brands,” says designer Abhishek Gupta.

In December last year, Chanel titled its pre-fall 2012 show, Bombay-Paris and showcased models wearing Nehru jackets and sporting maangtikka. The Canali spring-summer line featured kurtas, Ganesha totes and Indian chappals. Ermengildo Zegna has an entire range called ‘India’.

Bonding time
Day 1 of the ongoing Men’s Fashion Week, in Milan, saw Indian designer Manav Gangwani rub shoulders with noted international designer Roberto Cavalli. Cavalli is tipped to open his flagship store at Emporio in Delhi, this summer