It's All About Panache

The fashion industry in Assam has witnessed an almost exponential increase in the number of fashion designers, fashion photographers, models, fashion shows and beauty pageants. While all of this may seem heartening it is perhaps the need of the hour to pause and reflect on whether the right trends are dotting the fashion landscape.

"Fashion is serious business that requires a comprehensive understanding of the business ecosystem," says Nandini Baruva, fashion designer, proprietor of Musings Concept Store and Founder of Purpaws Foundation, an animal welfare NGO. "There could be better collaboration and a common ground for exchange of design and market ideas with our indigenous weavers. The government and fashion fraternity of the state need to put in consistent efforts to connect weavers to the good designers," she shares. 

The ace of formal training cannot be undermined in the fashion and styling industry. After all not being trained in the technicalities can translate to embarrassing glitches in the creation. "For instance pattern grading, pattern making, understanding yarn and textile composition precedes the actual garment design and construction," says Baruva while reiterating the need for formal training.

Apart from undertaking formal courses, designers and stylists need to be conversant of international fashion trends and simultaneously understand the pulse of the local market.

Also every good fashion statement (through clothes, accessories and the overall styling) needs to resonate with the personality of the wearer. Agreeing to this line of thought, Franco Parakka, fashion and creative director says, "I apply several filters in terms of perspectives while arriving at styling decisions for individual models."

This discretion does not happen overnight and requires thorough experience and commitment to the craft. As a message to aspiring fashion professionals and stylists, Parakka says, "Spend time understanding the physical and even psychological dimensions of your subject. It is great to seek inspiration from myriad things and events in life but remember one cardinal rule –you ultimately need to create something that is original. Also never be apprehensive about making mistakes as everyone of us learns through our mistakes." 

Like every other evolving industry the fashion industry of Assam is fraught with its own set of challenges. One major challenge is that there is a general inability among a section of the masses to distinguish between style and fashion. After all while fashion is largely defined by external and often fleeting trends, style is a very personal and fairly permanent choice.

Explaining how this translates to a challenge, Baruva says, "People who are alien to the concept of style are not very likely to endorse design philosophies and concepts like for instance the concept of slow fashion which is really the need of the hour."

Baruva who had showcased her creations at the 2017 edition of Lakme Fashion Week explains, "The hallmark of good designer wear is a seamless combination of beauty and functionality and the element of style is invariably instrumental in achieving this prerogative. My entire collection (attire and accessories) had strived to complement the life choices and disposition of strong willed women who make no excuses while pursuing their dreams in essentially male dominated bastions."

Reiterating the importance of the subtle yet potent distinction between style and fashion, Parakka says, "In my capacity as a fashion professional I tell people that a hallmark of a good wardrobe is quality and not quantity. It is about clothes that resonate the personality and lifestyle of the wearer and are in sync with the social setting and weather conditions."

Highlighting another challenge, Baruva says, "There are photographers mushrooming everywhere. Many of them exhibit pictures of very skimpily clad models in their social media feed. While I am definitely not judging their choice of subject I would like to say that it does not fall in the purview of fashion design, simply because there are no elements of design in the attire of the subject. These pictures may pass of as works of art but it is inappropriate to label it as fashion photography. To retain and grow the stature of this industry it is important to not dilute its very essence."

Baruva and Parakka believe that if the challenges are ironed out Assam has the potential to etch its presence in the global fashion map. Talking about the way forward, Parakka says, "I believe the online space should be adequately leveraged for fashion shows, fashion-related conversations, and trivia. Also fashion professionals here should actively explore international fashion concepts like for instance fashion movies."

Baruva sums, "Fashion shows and fashion events should be appropriately and meaningfully themed. On a parallel vein, there is a visible need for good models who hold intelligible views on social, economic and environment causes as such models can aptly mirror theme-based creations. Also designers should not restrict themselves to clothing alone and extend their design philosophy to a range of accessories that can include utility accessories too like coasters, mats, bag packs etc. By doing this more livelihood opportunities can be generated for local artisans and craftsmen along with the weavers."

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