INDIAN FASHION INDUSTRY

Today, India is in vogue again as a result of the work of many talented people in the fashion industry.

Unlike before, the Indian motif is one of luxury and confidence. Designers in the West are using it to make a statement- whether it is Cavalli who put Goddesses on bikinis or Prada whose latest collection uses the peacock feather. The transformation that has already taken place in other sectors like business and economy is now finding expression in fashion in a significant way. It is a reflection of India’s larger engagement with the world. Behind the arc lights of the recent India Fashion Week, real business was being conducted. Buyers from major western retail chains came looking for genuine local talent. Be it Selfridges, Harrods or Browns, mainstream stores in the West now retail the collections of some of our best designers. More than a generic Indian “look”, the label of the Indian designer is also being sought after.

EXPORTING TERROR

Relations between India and Pakistan have a tendency to move on twin tracks. One is fuelled by Islamabad’s Kashmir obsession and its commitment to cross-border terrorism. The other involves periodic peace offers by Pakistan to ease international pressure on itself. It’s a double game that has been played with some success in the past but Islamabad bow finds itself hoist with its own petard.

That is why the question of whether the ceasefire along the Line of Control is an attempt to appease the global gallery or a genuine desire for peace remains an open one.

SECRET DESIRES

In a survey on young men between the ages of 16 and 25 across 11 cities shows that they are less confident and more confused about sex, surprising in today’s social and economic environment. A majority still want the woman they marry to be a virgin and 54 percent are not allowed to bring their female friends home.

Fantasy is clearly a preferable option with 62 percent saying they watch pornography with male friends.

The survey suggests a wide difference from the media image of free mingling of sexes. The single young man seems muddled. He is still trying to break free of the shackles of the family, and the restrictions of being brought up in still largely segregated environments. For these boys, other boys are still their best buddies, and 37 percent have even had one or more homosexual experiences. For young Indian men, appearance is everything- 58 percent say grooming is important and although only 19 percent have credit cards, 44 percent go to the gym on a regular basis and 35 percent eat out once or more than once a week. They are, however, careful when it comes to sex: 53 percent say condoms are a must use, which means there is rising awareness about safe sex.
As happens often in India, what appears on the surface is not the truth. However sexily the young may dress and however greater the interaction with each other, deep down when it comes to something as fundamental as sex, they are downright conservative. Or as the French are fond of saying: plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose –the more things change, the more they stay the same.