Is London Fashion Week the New Hub for Indian Designers?
Source - Vogue India by Pooja Shah
Link - https://www.thevoiceoffashion.com/centrestage/features/nitin-bal-chauhan-fashioning-protest-3439
cascade of flowing drapes accentuated with vintage embroidery and handmade tassels descended the runway for homegrown Gujarati label Jigya M’s debut at London Fashion Week. Paying homage to her heritage, founder Jigya Patel featured Gujarati fabrics like gharchola bandhej and patan patolas alongside intricate mochi embroidery. Along with Jigya M's inaugural international showcase, designs also debuted from fellow homegrown artisans Gopi Vaid, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Tanieya Khanuja and more. But this was not just another fashion show in India; this was the scene at the London Fashion Week catwalk featuring nine burgeoning Indian labels at the 2024 Medusa exhibition in Hyde Park.
Despite hailing from all over the diverse country, these brands shared a common thread of both reimagining India's rich legacy of textiles and craftwork for a global audience. “Indian fashion is going global and Medusa’s objective is to give these designers the acknowledgement and recognition that they deserve. We launched two designers in the 2017 runway show in London and after a hiatus, we’re back,” says Sonal Vig. “Next we’re heading to Paris, Milan and New York.”
To date, the 10-year-old company has organised 23 exhibitions in India, launched over 2,5000 designers and about 300 brands. So, is London the new aspirational hub for brands?
Sustainable fashion pioneer Nitin Bal Chauhan brought his architectural silhouettes to the London Fashion Week runway for the first time this season. Keeping with his eco-conscious ethos, Chauhan crafted the collection using handspun, handwoven sheep wool sheared sustainably from indigenous Ladakhi tribes and dyed using solar power, avoiding any electrical grid reliance.
“London has always inspired me and designers from here have shaped my aesthetics and notions about how fashion can create a dialogue. London has produced many iconic world-known designers and I feel at home here,” explains fashion designer, self-taught artist and filmmaker Chauhan.
Chauhan used the thick, brushed felt stoles to create voluminous zero-waste skirts, draping them in a way that minimised textile waste. All jackets, corsets and tops were made from the same sturdy fabric and hand-sewn at his Delhi atelier. Though this was Chauhan’s third time at London Fashion Week where he previously was at the exhibiting booth twice, it marked his first catwalk showcase at the gothic St. John’s Cathedral venue – a fitting backdrop for his gothic-inspired pieces and long-standing architectural inspiration.
“Now is a time when India is beginning to flex its muscle across all industries, but especially in fashion. We are beginning to appeal to a mainstream global audience and LFW gives us a platform to not only believe in our vision but to bring it to reality,” Chauhan adds.