Thanks to globalization and India’s emergence as an economic powerhouse in the last decade, the latest bout of Western infatuation with all things Indian is arguably the most intense it has been since the heady days of British colonialism. There has been a a recent artistic renaissance, coupled with a steady increase in both interest and export. First it was a small curiosity about Bollywood films, solidified by Slumdog Millionaire, followed by the wild success of Indian contemporary art in the last five years. It is no wonder that the next area of focus would be fashion. Contemporary Indian Fashion, edited by Federico Rocca, is a visually stunning and well-curated coffee-table book featuring 24 leading young designers working out of India. They not only represent the here-and-now of Indian fashion, but its future as well.

This is, essentially, a picture book. Made up of 6 to 12 page spreads, the work of each designer is showcased along with a very short rundown of their background and an interview. All of the clothes are wonderful to look at, and I found myself flipping through it again and again, as I would a really great magazine. Each spread nicely balances editorial flourishes, pages featuring multiple looks from a collection, and several detail shots. In the case of Indian fashion, the prominence of the detail shot is absolutely essential due to the meticulous details of the clothes themselves.

One of the things that sets Indian designers apart from their international counterparts is their use of traditional hand-craft techniques. Everything from embroidery to beading, cut-work to weaving, is used to maximum effect. As Rocca points out in his introduction, for Indian designers, “God is in the details.”

There is text in this book, too. The short introduction manages to give the reader a primer on Indian-ness and the current influence of ’80s-style consumerism that has swept the sub-continent. However, while mostly concise, the writing style has a few problems. At times it can be convoluted and confusing. Rocca doesn’t seem to know whether he wants the writing to be analytical and academic or simply a casual blogger-style presentation of the now. Also, it (especially in the intro) conveys an affected pretentiousness. He states that the book’s aim is to answer the question: “Will an Indian designer ever dress Western women?” He then makes repeated references to German film director Wim Wenders, Mies van der Rohe, and Latin and French phrases. It seems that Mr. Rocca, an Italian fashion journalist, wants to distance himself from his non-Western subject. This is sad, since the designs featured here are more than enough to quell any prejudiced notions of third world inferiority.

The fact that the content of this book has been defined in the terms of the West is annoying, an exercise in Eurocentric validation. These are designers that could potentially, or have already, broken into Western markets. The uniqueness of contemporary Indian design is the melding of both eastern and western aesthetics, all the while staying true to traditional Indian textile and adornment processes and techniques. The combination is elegant, lush, modern and beautiful; India does not need to be patted on the head by foreign fashion editors.

And it may be due to the distance between the author and his subject, but I get the sense that not much on-the-ground research was done – indicated in part by extremely short designer interviews (so short, in fact, they might easily have been conducted via text message). Beside thorough and sumptuous fashion spreads, these tiny interviews feel either superfluous or totally insufficient. When put together, these gaffs and gaps suggest Rocca is an unreliable narrator, calling into question the thoroughness of the book as a whole.

In addition to these issues, Mr. Rocca and the good folks at Damiani should remember that readers appreciate the little things – like a table of contents, an index, and PAGE NUMBERS! Information regarding the number of designers featured in this book and the number of pages dedicated to each was brought to you by this reviewer’s ability to flip pages and count. Although initially distracted by the gorgeous pictures, when I wanted to go back and find a particular designer or look, I had to search page by page. Completely unacceptable.

However, although problematic in its motivations (and a tad in its execution), this book is really the only one of its kind out there, and it’s been a long time coming. There has been a definite dearth of comprehensive looks at the major changes the Indian fashion industry has undergone in the past few years. In that sense, Contemporary Indian Fashion is a great starting point from which to dive into the beautiful, colourful, and detailed designs being produced in the sub-continent. At the very least, it will make any lover of fashion absolutely happy.

Well, until they try to find something twice.

Contemporary Indian Fashion, by Federico Rocca, Damiani, 2009
Reviewed by Anisha Seth

Hair India presents what can arguably be called the uglier side of the beauty industry. Directed by Raffaele Brunetti and Marco Leopardi, the film shows the extreme differences between India’s richest and poorest, and the roles both play in the obtaining and selling of one of the most popular recent accessories: hair extensions.

The film follows a young girl named Gita and her family living in West Bengal. Having no other material possessions to donate to their temple, they plan on collectively shaving their heads and sacrificing their hair, a common ritual where they live. In a culture where a woman’s beauty is so highly regarded, the act of giving up one’s hair is not a simple decision. Meanwhile in Bombay we meet Sangeeta (pictured above), the editor of a gossip magazine who busies herself with such tasks like finding a professional palm reader to dish on the personal lives of major Indian celebrities. While looking for a new hairstyle before a huge party, Sangeeta turns to hair extensions.

Between following the lives of these two women, the documentary observes how the temple sells the hair to a company in Italy called Great Lengths, who then bleaches, colours, and sorts the hair and turns them into extensions, sold around the world. They are a hot commodity coveted by the rich, from celebrities in Hollywood to Sangeeta and her peers.

The film does suggest that there is an injustice being committed, but it is hard to pinpoint who exactly the culprit is. There are the temples who sell the hair without the consent of the donating parties, but if all the money goes back to charitable events, can it really be inferred that the temples have dishonourable intentions? It seemed clear that Sangeeta, the glamorous magazine editor with an obsession for celebrity culture and makeup, was seen as silly and shallow – after all, the audience at the screening I went to laughed when she said she hoped her new extensions would make her look like Shakira. Shots of Gita and her family living in near poverty accompanied by melancholic music are interspersed with scenes of Sangeeta at high profile events wearing designer dresses, yet I still find it hard to vilify her as a bad guy of Disney proportions – after all, she is a woman trying to find success in a society that, although different from our own, still places great significance on a woman’s physical beauty (as emphasized by the great pains it took for Gita to eventually donate her hair). Could it be possible that Sangeeta herself is just a different sort of victim, falling prey to a sexist and shallow culture and merely ignorant to the conditions under which the hair extensions were made?

In a post-screening interview with the filmmakers, they explained that their job in creating this documentary was not to give all the answers, but rather to ask the relevant questions. In that respect, their film was successful. Hair India does a good job of displaying the relevant information so that, even if the film doesn’t solve any problems itself, it certainly raises awareness of the issue.
- Anna Fitz