Fashion
You’ve seen them in the finest designer creations on your feed. Here, five faces of Instagram tell us about the underlying message
From the likes of Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi to Alberta Ferretti, Giorgio Armani and many more, the fashion community felt the urgent need to come together in support of the backbone of the industry—our karigars. With the pandemic displacing the lives of migrant workers and impacting craft clusters nationwide, resulting in loss of livelihood for many, Vogue India, along with the Natasha and Adar Poonawalla Foundation, united leading creatives to raise funds to champion their cause, with ‘To India, With Love’. The virtual fundraiser saw celebrities come together and designers pledging special pieces, meanwhile, the campaign also saw a host of influencers use their platforms to spread the word among their varied audiences. Within the confines of their homes, Instagram’s famous faces shared some of the most treasured handcrafted pieces from their own collections, spotlighting the heritage and craftsmanship that’s unique to our country. Here, we connect with five names from the digital community to discuss the importance of spreading a meaningful message.
“When I started my blog, it wasn’t about social media at all—it was a platform to express my love for fashion, art and beauty. Instagram helped me build this community to what it is today,” she says. On her page you’ll find a host of Indian design labels, with a spotlight on sustainable and upcoming names. “Indian craftsmanship is not only an art, it tells stories….where it originated, how it is hand made, the thought behind the aesthetic, weave and patterns. It’s true luxury in my eyes,” says Sikka who often styles traditional pieces through events and international fashion weeks. “We need to talk about it more and throw light on the fact that our artisans and skilled workers are the ones preserving our culture and kinda creating one-of-a-kind couture.”
“We wanted to create a brand bigger than ourselves,” says Summiyya Patni Shah, one-half of House Of Misu—a long-time collaboration with Mitali Sagar. From couture to of-the-moment pieces, a large portion of their content is dedicated to local designers and brands which work closely with local craftsmen. “We feel that we have a responsibility towards our followers and the country to make sure we use our position in the industry for good.”
“Not only am I sharing more Indian craft on my platform, I’m actually learning along the way too,” admits Aashna Shroff, who has been discovering more and more about Indian karigars and their skilled work in the last few months through working on her page. “This has been a welcome change for me and my audience, and I plan to do it a lot more. I’ve also noticed a huge evolution in my personal style now that I’ve been learning so much more about Indian craftsmanship, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“We have celebrated India’s crafts and designs for so many years it was about time to come together and give back to the community and all those who suffered and uplift their spirit,” shares Tina Kakkad Dhanak of The Image Code. “I feel like the real test of being an influencer is not just to be able to influence but also create value.” Early on in the lockdown, she collaborated with a charitable organisation as one of her first initiatives. “Within a couple of weeks we managed to collect significant resources to support labour and migrant workers. I realised the power of social media then.” Some of Dhanak’s most special collaborations have been with celebrated Indian designers like Jade, Anju Modi and Anamika Khanna among others.
“Even though my content is primarily fashion and beauty, over the years, I've realised that the community I have built helps me go beyond just that,” says Aanam C. Strongly believing in giving back, she has started @whatwhenwearwardrobe, a page where she donates pre-loved fashion and beauty products from her wardrobe, and 100 percent proceeds from the sales go towards education of the underprivileged. “I grew up watching my mother creating some of the most beautiful custom garments for women.I've seen her dealing with her karigars for her own label and know how much work it truly is,” she expresses on resonating with ‘To India, With Love’.
‘To India With Love’ unites creatives from around the world to support Indian karigars
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