UNIT 3 FASHION: AN OVERVIEW Fashion: An Overview

Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Fashion: Definition
3.3 Evolution of Fashion Cycle
3.4 Terminology Associated with Fashion
3.5 Sources of Fashion Inspiration
3.6 Fashion Adoption Theories
3.7 Indian Fashion Designers and Their Contribution
3.8 Let Us Sum Up
3.9 Keywords
3.10 References and Suggested Readings
3.11 Check Your Progress – Possible Answers

3.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying about the various components of design and how these must
be applied to different figure types, let us now learn about something we deal
with everyday – fashion. Whether we accept it or not, we all care about
fashion. Every morning we choose clothes that make us look good and say a
lot about us. Fashion is a language which tells a story about the person who
wears it. After studying this Unit, you will be able to:
• Understand fashion and its cycle;
• Identify various sources of fashion inspiration;
• Describe fashion forecasting; and
• Learn about various Indian fashion designers.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
In the last Unit on understanding silhouettes, you had studied - what is
silhouette, how it is classified, what are various figure types and which
silhouette should be selected for each figure type, how shape of a garment
can vary with the use of darts and dart equivalents, and how fabrics help
support the foundation of a garment and give a good fit and drape. Keeping
all these components of silhouette in mind and elements and principles of
design (as studied in Unit-1 of this Block), a designer creates fashion after a
long process which will be dealt in this Unit.

This Unit deals with what is fashion, who creates fashion, fashion cycle,
some terms associated with fashion, the sources of inspiration for creation of
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Course 2 fashion, widely accepted theories of fashion, factors that help promote
fashion, factors that suppress the growth of fashion, fashion forecasting, and
finally have a glimpse of the Indian fashion Industry and some famous Indian
fashion designers. Let’s start the unit by defining fashion.

3.2 FASHION: DEFINITION

Fashion is both big business and big news. The glamour of new season
trends, statements and arguments about fashion and the fashion industry can
be found in every newspaper, consumer website and fashion blog. According
to Barnard, Fashion may be understood as ‘everything that is worn on the
body and that is done to or with the body; all the dress, clothing, adornment,
modification and so on that happens on and to the body is fashion’.
Basically, fashion is a continuous process of change in the current style of
living. It may be defined as a style/custom of dressing that is prevalent
amongst people or amongst any group of individuals at a given time. It is the
style of the present which will last for a year or two or even for a span of
years. A new item introduced in the market becomes a fashion when
customers like it and buy it. Fashion of a particular era is influenced by
general conditions of living of that time- war, peace, drought, prosperity,
political status, etc. Fashion may be practical, convenient and comfortable at
the time of its launch or just the opposite in case the environment at a place is
like that. Fashion is influenced by the era or the time in which it exists and
the current events of that time.

It is interesting to note that fashion is not new, since early forms of fashion
like tattoos and use of leaves and twigs to cover bodies is known since the
Stone Age. Technical developments may also help create new and innovative
fashion products and articles. Fashion trend-setters are usually prominent
people like Bollywood stars, sports personalities, political leaders, and other
celebrities. These styles are then adopted by other people as well and it
cannot be predicted whether a particular style will be accepted or rejected so
predictability of fashion is not possible. The wide-spread reach of fashion is
attributed to print media and electronic media which have become important
means of communicating fashion today. It is the free choice that people have
that makes fashion so unpredictable.

The Creator of Fashion

New fashion ideas are created by designers (or couturiers) which may be
accepted or rejected by public. The designs must be innovative and unique so
that the consumer is attracted to them and it fulfills the demands of the
consumer. A designer may select a particular type of fashion garment and
produce variations in that category only.

A designer must move with the times and understand deeply the interests,
attitudes, style of living, preferences and demands of his customer. A
designer should be able to translate the feel of an era into the fashion of the
times. The first fashion designer was Charles Fredrick Worth, in the
19thcentury. He had set up his fashion design house in Paris. Prior to this the
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clothing was made by anonymous dressmakers inspired from the styles worn Fashion: An Overview
by royal people.

3.3 EVOLUTION OF FASHION CYCLE

As consumers, we come across many new styles created by designers in each
season. Some are rejected immediately by the press or the buyers at the retail
level, but others get accepted for some time as consumers purchase and wear
them. The path followed by a fashion in its life-cycle is referred to as the
fashion cycle. It is a bell-shaped curve and has five stages (Fig. 3.1):
• Introduction
• Increase in popularity
• Peak of popularity
• Decline in popularity
• Rejection
Introduction
A designer, who is one of the creators of fashion, designs a new style or
silhouette according to his specific market by changing elements such as line,
shape, colour, fabric and details and their relationship with one another. This
style may catch on slowly and get accepted by people or it may fail if people
do not adopt it. An innovative style is usually launched first in the high-
priced category since the production cost is also high and is adapted by
fashion innovators and trend setters. Later it is made available in lower prices
by other manufacturers as well if it is liked by the people. Styles categorized
in this high-price category are covered in trade and consumer fashion
publications. Only selected people can afford it and such people are referred
to as avant-garde. It is produced in small quantities and celebrities, popular
television stars, models, etc. buy these clothes as they want to wear them for
some event.
Increase in Popularity
The style slowly spreads by popular celebrities and attracts the attention of
the general public and may become a hot number (highly selling garment) for
the original manufacturer/designer and is made available for sale at many
retail outlets. This is the time when knock-off houses come into play and start
manufacturing the copy of this hot number in mass volumes at a lower price.
The cost of this knock-off article is less because the manufacturer has not
invested in research and development of the design and it is being produced
in large volumes, thus bringing down the cost per garment. Some
manufacturers also attempt to design and produce versions of this high selling
style. The style will slowly be available in all multi-chain outlets and retail
stores as they will also start manufacturing it.
Peak of Popularity
When a fashion is at the height of its popularity, it may result in many
manufacturers copying it or producing adaptations of it at many price levels.
As the production increases, this style, which originated for the high-class,
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Course 2 will now be available in an inexpensive fabric at the lowest possible price.
All social classes will be able to afford this style now. However, with the
spreading of the style and increased production, the elegance and fit of the
original style may become lost in the process.

Decline in Popularity
As a result of mass production and too many pieces of the style, the fashion
conscious people will stop wearing the style and look for new designs. They
may wear it still since they have bought it, but new consumers are not likely
to buy it. Finally, the style is closed at all price points now as customers no
more demand them.

Rejection
This style may be lying on racks of discount stores of lowest fashion now.
But it may come back to fashion if it is introduced by some designer about
10-20 years later with some changes. At this time, new styles must have been
introduced in the market.

The stages of fashion cycle are shown in the graph in figure 3.1 below.
Different products may have different length of their fashion cycle as it
depends on the acceptability by people. Some fashions quickly rise to peak
and stay at peak sales for a long time, some others may take more time to
reach the peak and quickly see the decline in popularity. Some fashions fade
from the fashion scene quickly and some may seem like not disappearing
ever and may be termed as classics.
Peak of Popularity
se s -
e a ase

De em
s

cl an
in cre

d
in d
e
le in
cr

in
Sa n d
a
m
De

A style is
introduced
Rejection

INRODUCTORY ACCEPTANCE REJECTION

PHASE PHASE PHASE

Fig. 3.1 Fashion Cycle

Pendulum Swing of Fashion

Just as a pendulum moves back and forth, the pendulum of fashion also
swings from a point of exaggeration in one direction towards the opposite
direction. In this type of fashion cycle, a trend terminates when it has reached
its extreme version and all possibilities have exhausted and moves to the
opposite direction, towards the other extreme (Fig. 3.2). It comes till a mid-
point which has the components of both the extremes and may result in a
classic (described in section 3.4). For example, when there is a trend of flare,
it grows in dresses and reaches highest extreme acceptable fullness and then
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narrow fit dresses come into fashion. Narrow fit goes further narrower till it Fashion: An Overview
becomes too uncomfortable and body revealing and then again flare comes
into fashion. Another example can be in terms of colours of fashion. When
bright and light colours are in the fashion scenario, they reach their minimum
shades and tints and to very bright extremes of neon colours and then dark
colours come into fashion. Once dark colours have reached extreme dark
values, again light colours come into fashion. Apart from this pendulum of
fashion trends, other fashion cycles of different trends also co-exist. Classic
colours and trends remain in fashion throughout. For fashion forecasting
agencies and professionals, pendulum swing helps to define fashion direction
and predicting the next fashion change.

Fig. 3.2 Pendulum Swing of Fashion

A designer must introduce a new style (described in section 3.4) keeping in

mind the general economic condition of the country, new trends in fashion,
technological developments and current retail trends. If current fashion is, for
example, towards fitted garments, the designer must follow the trend. But the
style should have some unique feature to drive the customer to that design.
In case of ready-to-wear designers, the designer needs to work long before
the actual selling season-usually six to eight months before. Merchandise
meant for the spring season is usually shipped to stores during January and
February, coldest months of the year. So, selling starts much before when the
customer will actually wear the garment.

Check Your Progress I

Note: Use the space provided for your answer
1) Define fashion.
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Course 2 2) List the various stages of fashion cycle.
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3) Fill in the blanks:
a) New fashion ideas are created by …………
b) ………….. of fashion swings from a point of exaggeration in one
direction towards the opposite direction.

3.4 TERMINOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH

FASHION
In order to be able to communicate in the fashion world, it is important to
understand and effectively use the terms associated with fashion. There
should not be any personal meanings implied by these terms and they should
mean the same to one and all to avoid confusion. Here is a list of the most
commonly used terms of the fashion world.

Style
A style is a way of expression or the characteristic that distinguishes it from
others. Dress styles particularly describe distinguishing characteristics of one
style from another. For example- skirts, trousers, pants are all different styles
and within each of these styles also there could be styles like A-line skirt,
flared skirt, etc. These are different styles as they can be distinguished on the
basis of their shapes and lines.
A style may be brought back into fashion as such or modified in some sense
and become popular again. This is because many designers look at history of
fashion for inspiration and bring back old styles back into fashion.
Design
A design can be defined as a composition of silhouette, colour, texture, and
details which create specific variations of a style. For example, pants is a
style and giving it variations like narrow look or straight fit or having gathers
at the waist are all designs.
High Fashion (Haute Couture)
High fashion or haute couture (French term for high fashion) refers to highly
fashionable garment styles that are expensive and exclusive and have
excellent quality in terms of design, workmanship and fabric. They are sewn
with perfection by using time consuming manual techniques. This is an
important source of inspiration for the general fashion as often high fashion
becomes fashion when it starts getting accepted by more people and is no
more exclusive and limited to the high class.
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Couture Fashion: An Overview

It is a French term for dressmaking that refers to the production of clothing

by the designer according to client’s specific requirements and
measurements.

Couturier
It is the French term for a designer.

Classics
These are styles that remain in fashion for a long time since they continue to
be accepted by people. These styles are timeless and usually simple in design
and are suitable for the general population. This is the reason why they
always look pleasing. They change minimally over a long period of time. For
example- a grey business suit is a classic since a long time and forever. Other
examples are polo t-shirts, jeans, etc. Fig. 3.3 represents the curve for a
classic (in dotted lines) in comparison to the curve for a normal fashion cycle
and a fad. You can see from the graph that a classic may continue for more
than one fashion cycle and experience rise and gain in popularity over time
but never goes out of fashion.

Fads
A fashion that lives for a short period is referred to as a fad. They are short-
lived but are quickly accepted by small group of people only. The reason
accepted for these characteristics of fads is that they are inexpensive, too
exaggerated and extreme, and easily available. They are usually limited to a
small geographical area but may sometimes cover the entire country. They
come up independently with no forerunner and no follower. They lack the
strength of design to hold consumer attention for a long time. Generally, the
people who accept fads and follow fads are the young class and rarely adults
as new generations are more open to new styles. Examples of fads are hair
colouring in selective areas, bell-bottoms etc. Fig. 3.3 represents a fad (in
dotted lines) in comparison with a normal fashion cycle and a classic. You
can see that a fad stays in fashion for a short time but attains peak sales in
that small time and has a steep graph as compared to a classic and a normal
fashion cycle.

Fig. 3.3 Classic and Fad Compared to a Normal Fashion Cycle

Custom-made
It refers to the tailoring done for an individual according to his/her
measurements. Garment is cut and fit to the person’s body. They have limited
market as they are highly priced because of their exclusivity and high labor
costs. 49
Course 2 Prêt-a-porter
Prêt-a-porter is the French term for ready-to-wear garments. These are
garments that are made in standard sizes and have simpler patterns that can
be mass produced.

Intext Activity1.
Write a short note on ‘My favourite classic’ in about 200 words and share
why do you prefer it.

3.5 SOURCES OF FASHION INSPIRATION

Designers, who as stated above, are the creators of fashion, need some
suggestions, motivation and inspirations to design for the upcoming seasons.
Some of the common sources of fashion inspiration are listed here:

Nature: Natural things around us are an inspiration for all designers.

Internet: Internet has become a part our world and fashion industry is seeing
a major shift in designs and trends. It is connecting the customers through
various social media networks like Face book, Twitter, Instagram etc. In
fashion industry social media platforms are used to interact with the
customers, as a way of building online presence but at the same time social
media also influences designers in various ways that are changing the way
many designers create their fashion. Web links provide latest information and
knowledge and designers often look at websites for their inspiration.
Mass Media: Media in both the forms-print like newspapers and magazines
and broadcast media like television and radio are an important source for
getting information on latest trends and events from which ideas can be
generated by designers/boutique owners.

Forecasts: It refers to the colour and fabric forecast that acts as a guideline
for all designers to create their designs. A lot of events like fairs and
presentations of latest trends and upcoming colours and fabrics of the season
are carried out to showcase forecasts.
Travel and Tourism: Travel and tours to different locations can be a good
inspiration for a designer as s/he becomes aware of a new lifestyle which can
be his/her inspiration. These trips can be purposely planned or may be just for
leisure or business trips.

Architecture and History of a Place: Since ancient times, designers have

taken inspiration from ancient monuments, architecture of cities, historical
people and their lifestyles, etc.

Designer’s Previous Collection: A designer’s previous collections can

provoke new ideas in a designer’s mind to design his new collection. He may
make modifications in his last collection and launch it as the next series of his
last collection.

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It is basically dependent on the designer how creatively and interestingly he Fashion: An Overview
can view his surroundings and derive inspiration from them for his next
collection. All designers have the similar environment, it is on them what
they pick and how they transform it into creative ideas is what makes them
unique and different

How Fashion Trends are born?

A fashion trend is born when a new look is introduced on the ramp, in the
media or on the street and it has the appeal to catch consumer’s eye and is
slowly rising in demand. It has the feature that was missing from the fashion
scene since some time and therefore people are ready to accept it and adorn
it. But this new look has evolved from a logical evolution from the previous
fashions and is a building stone for the fashions to come in the future.

There are three stages in the evolution of a trend as given by Lawrence

Samuel:
a. Fringe- In this stage, innovation rises and it is caught by the trendiest
consumers and entrepreneurial firms.
b. Trendy- In this stage, the awareness grows for the trend because early
adopters join the first group of innovators and the visibility of the trend
increases. Fashion forward brands and retailers test the concept at this
stage by offering it to the consumers.
c. Mainstream- In this stage, the more conservative consumers join the
group after they have seen enough of the trend and popularity grows
further. Brands now start to produce and earn from this growing demand.

After this stage when the trend has entered the mainstream fashion, it may
break into smaller trends which may be reinvented or modified by different
cultures to suit their needs. Or it may meet resistance, merge with another
trend or changes its course or direction.

Check Your Progress II

Note: Use the space provided for your answer

1. Define ‘high fashion’.

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2. Differentiate between prêt-a-porter and custom-made.
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Course 2 3. What are classics? Give examples.
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4. Fill in the blanks:
(a) …………. is a French term for a designer.
(b) French term for high fashion is ………….

3.6 FASHION ADOPTION THEORIES

Fashion adoption theories are theories that explain the phenomenon of
fashion. They were introduced at different times of the twentieth century. But
these theories are not foolproof and they simply predict the general
acceptance of a style by consumers. Fashion merchandisers who are very
skilled and experienced develop sense of fashion movement and predict these
theories. There are three fashion theories. Let’s discuss each separately.

Trickle-down Theory
As the term suggests, this theory basically means that fashion moves from the
higher class in the society to the lower class. In the earlier centuries, the
fashion starters were royalty, the nobility in the palace would follow them
and then it trickled down to the middle-class. The lower class did not follow
them as they did not have the income, access to fashion and freedom to
follow fashion. With time, the royalty became the fashion leaders and as this
fashion was being adopted by the masses; new styles were introduced by the
fashion leaders. This theory was accepted in the nineteenth century by some
economists and was published as a step-by-step description by sociologist
George Simmel in 1904.

According to trickle-down theory, we can identify that the source of fashion

ideas are the designers who catered to wealthy clients who invested in
conspicuous consumption. The fashion leaders are those fashionable and
highly visible individuals who became the fashion models. Fashion changes
in the downward direction from the elite to the adjacent class below it. The
speed of the spread of fashion depends on the ability of the lower classes to
see, copy and wear these fashions. Trickle-down theory can also be explained
in terms of a triangle with acceptance of fashion moving from the tip of the
triangle to its base as shown in Fig. 3.4 below. As one design becomes
popular at the lower levels as well, the desire of the upper levels of society to
distinguish themselves again brings a new fashion in the scene and the same
cycle repeats again.

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 Fashion: An Overview

Fig. 3.4 Representation of Trickle-down Theory

Trickle-across Theory
With the beginning of the twentieth century, fashion no more was restricted
to a particular social class of people. Movie stars, television personalities,
sportspersons, other public figures became inspirations for fashion as mass
media spread during this period. King (1963) proposed a new theory of
trickle-across in 1960s as trickle-down theory was no more relevant. This
theory basically means that each group or segment of society has its own
leader or leaders of fashion and that fashion is adopted simultaneously across
segments unlike trickle-down theory.

A mass market was introduced at this time because of the emergence of mass
production, mass communication and growth of the middle class. The
increased production rates with the introduction of mass production enabled
production of knock-offs in the same season at all price points. So, more
looks were seen each season and individuals could choose what they want
from these options.

Bottom-up / Trickle-up Theory

It is also sometimes referred to as the trickle-up theory. Field (1970)
proposed this theory of fashion. As per this theory, fashion moves from lower
to upper socio-economic groups and from young to aged. The lower income
youth have less social presence and hence less inhibitions, so they can freely
create new dress patterns. People from the upper socio-economic group are
secure and adopt only well-accepted dress patterns. Those in the middle
socio-economic group are conservative and may accept clothing styles from
lower or upper economic strata. This theory can also be represented in the
form of a triangle with maximum acceptance at the base and fashion direction
moving upwards towards the tip (Fig. 3.5).

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Course 2

Fig. 3.5 Representation of Bottom-up Theory

Factors Favoring Fashion

This section lists down the various factors that will help in the growth of
fashion at a place. These are macro factors that are outside an individual and
prevail in the environment of the country or state. These factors are discussed
below in brief.

Attempts for Profit- Manufacturers like to change fashion and this results in
production and sale of clothing. A customer might feel like it is a wastage of
money but from the manufacturer’s point of view, it’s a good reason to make
customers buy clothes.
Spread of Fashion- There are various ways of spreading fashion like fashion
shows, newspapers, magazines and television. Any new fashion shown at any
of the mediums has the capacity to spread across and it depends on the rate at
which fashion is spread and accepted by people.

Economic Independence- In the last century, only wealthy could follow

fashion because of lack of funds. But in the twentieth century, there has been
in general, increase in family income and therefore, more people follow what
is in fashion.

Transport and Communication Facilities- Means of communication -

television and internet have made spread of fashion instantaneous. Women
and men can easily see and adapt the latest fashions on the internet. So, it
does not take more than few weeks for an existing fashion to spread through
the country.
Political Freedom- As a nation, if people face some taboos on what they
should wear or restrictions based on their social status, spread of fashion
becomes difficult. But in the twentieth century, with the empowerment of
women, increased education and awareness, people have more freedom to
choose and adopt new fashions and follow them.

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Factors Retarding Fashion Fashion: An Overview

This section lists down some basic factors that retard fashion and suppress
the growth of fashion. These factors are:

Low Income- Fashion adoption wastes money and consumers that do not
have sufficient income to spend on fashion, adopt fashion only when they
reach the mass market and become affordable.

Religious and Traditional Limitations- Some religious leaders might not

approve new fashions and hence the community may not adopt those
fashions.

Absence of Favorable Conditions- If the factors mentioned in section 3.6

like well-established transport and communication channels are not available,
spread of fashion is limited.

Fashion Forecasting
Fashion forecasting is predicting what people will like in the future and
therefore it is a difficult and tricky job for a forecaster to anticipate what
people will prefer in the future, when the future is not known and uncertain.
So, forecasters often look for emerging trends by tracing the directional
movement of fashion. It is interesting to say that fashion forecasting is the
ability to go with the crowd before the crowd knows where it is going!
Fashion forecasting is an activity that answers questions like:

i) What is likely to happen in the future?

ii) What is happening today that will significantly influence the future?
A fashion forecaster is like a market researcher who identifies style trends.
Fashion forecasting is not a magic practiced by such talented people, it is a
step-by-step process that can be understood and practiced by anyone who has
keen eye for it. Let’s discuss the process of developing a forecast in the
following section.

Steps in Developing a Forecast

The following steps of developing a forecast need to be followed
systematically and interpreted well to be able to develop a forecast which is
successful.
Step 1: Identification of basic facts about past trends and future forecasts.

Step 2: Determination of the causes of change in the past.

Step 3: Determination of the differences between past forecasts and what was
actually there.

Step 4: Determination of factors that might likely affect the trends in the
future.

Step 5: Applying forecasting tools and techniques and paying attention to

issues of their accuracy and reliability.
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Course 2 Step 6: Following the forecast continuously to determine reasons for
significant deviations from expectations.

Step 7: Revision of the forecast whenever a need is determined for it.

The forecast for a trend must identify the source, underlying patterns,
direction and movement of trend. We gain information from the environment
but it is only the first step, the next task is to filter this information and make
use of it to help learn and predict trends for the future.

Check Your Progress III

Note: Use the space provided for your answer

1. Fill in the blanks:

a) Theory of fashion that suggests fashion starters were royalty and

then it moveddown to the middle-class is ……………………theory.
b) Fashion moves from lower to upper socio-economic groups and
from young to aged was suggested in ………………. theory of
fashion.

2. Write any five factors favouring fashion.

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3. List any three factors retarding fashion.

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3.7 INDIAN FASHION DESIGNERS AND THEIR

CONTRIBUTION
India today is one of the aspiring players in the global market of fashion. In
India, clothes convey a special meaning. Different colours are associated with
different meanings and are worn on different occasions. In ancient India,
clothing conveyed the social status or rank of a person in the society. The
colour of tunic worn by the wearer, the drape followed by him, presence or
absence of a turban and style of wrapping it all defined a person’s status. It is
56 interesting to note that many people, especially women, wear a specific
colour each day of the week. Some occasions like Basant Panchami in Fashion: An Overview
Rajasthan are marked by wearing specific colour on the occasion like
‘yellow’. Ornamentation by use of jewelry is another important component of
Indian fashion. Hair, ear, nose, neck, ankles, etc. all are ornamented with
intricate or bold designs of jewelry.

India’s fashion vitality lies in the textile trends that it dictates for over 2,000
years because of the availability of a vast variety and types of textile fibers
which can grow in India’s weather conditions. Today, India’s strength is that
Indian designers work with the use of traditional Indian prints and
embroideries and superior craftsmanship known throughout the world. Value
addition in terms of ornamentation, embellishments and handwork
embroidery is the competency of Indian fashion. Modern Indian fashion takes
its inspiration from motifs and symbols of the past and changes them to use
them. So, most of the designers pick up what looks fine from the past, invest
time and energy in the present to make traditional craftsmanship a vital
component of the future. This is the essence of Indian fashion in the 21st
century.

Let us now discuss some of the well-known Indian designers and their
contribution to the Indian fashion.

J. J. Valaya

Source: http://spotonlists.com

Fig. 3.6 J.J. Valaya

This famous fashion designer and couturier (Fig. 3.6) from New Delhi was
born in Jodhpur in 1967. He studied commerce and wanted to be a chartered
accountant but his liking for rich Indian culture and art took him to National
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi and he graduated from
there in 1991. He founded the House of Valaya in 1992 along with his
brother T. J. Singh. He is a founding member of the Fashion Design Council
of India and first global ambassador of Swarovski, the global crystal giant.
He is a fine art photographer as well and has written the book-‘Decoded
Paradox’ in 2011. He designs for both men and women for day wear, evening
wear and bridal wear in addition to ready-to-wear since the last twenty years.
He has now ventured into home products as well. His labels include House of
Valaya, JJ Valaya, Studio Valaya and Valaya Home. Today, he is popularly
known for bridal trousseau and has the establishment - House of Valaya at
Manesar in Delhi.
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Course 2 Ritu Beri

Fig. 3.7 Ritu Beri

Source: www.supr10.com

She is known as the most hysterical designer of the Indian fashion industry
(Fig. 3.7). She is the only Indian designer who has headed the French fashion
house, Scherrer. She is known for giving Indian touches of embellishments,
finish or cut to traditional western silhouettes. She has written the most
expensive Indian book, ‘Firefly - A Fairytale’ which is priced at rupees one
lakh and published by Ritu Beri herself. She wanted to be a doctor but later
she decided that she wanted to be a designer and joined National Institute of
Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 1988. She opened her studio ‘Lavanaya’ in
1990 with the line she created for her graduation. Her client list grew strong,
with none other than Madhuri Dixit as one of her clients. She designs haute
couture as well as prêt-a-porter. She owns her own label in Paris now and
has over 100 Ritu Beri stores.

Tarun Tahiliani

Fig. 3.8 Tarun Tahiliani

Source: http://spotlightstyle.wordpress.com/

He is often called the Karl Lagerfield of India (Fig. 3.8). Luxury is the perfect
word for his collections. His fashion is all about wrapped, tucked and draped
garments. He is best known for his ability to infuse Indian craftsmanship and
textile heritage with European tailored silhouette. His signature is to combine
traditional aesthetics with modern design. He opened his first store–
‘Ensemble’ in 1987. After the success of his store, he went to Fashion
Institute of Technology and received his degree in 1991. He is known for his
jeweled t-shirt with Mughal motifs.

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Sabyasachi Mukherjee Fashion: An Overview

Fig. 3.9 Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Source: http://www.topnews.in/

He was born in 1974 in West Bengal (Fig. 3.9) and moved to Kolkata later.
He had a childhood spent in the beauty of nature-rivers, meadows and he had
a lot of free time to think, paint and read. He graduated from National
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata in 1999. In 2001, he won
the famous Femina British Council Award that took him to London for an
internship with Georgina von Etzdorf. This was the turning point of his life.
With his innovative streaks like stains, tears, singes and even little holes
poked on edge lining using the tips of burning incense sticks, Mukherjee has
brought a new flavour to Indian fashion. The designer uses rich ethnic fabrics
in his collection - extensive use of Banarasi fabric can be seen in his range.
Since 1999, he designs merchandise using label 'Sabyasachi'. Mukherjee is
one of the Associate Designer Members of Fashion Design Council of
India and the youngest board member of the National Museum of Indian
Cinema. He has designed costumes for Bollywood films such
as Guzaarish, Babul, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan etc. He pioneered
the use of Indian textiles in a modern context. His unique contribution was
the use of indigenous methods like bandhani, gotawork, block printing, etc.
in construction of modern silhouettes. Mukherjee started a project
called ‘Save the Saree’ where he retails hand-woven Indian sarees on a non-
profit basis priced at rupees 3500 and the entire proceeds go to the weavers
of Murshidabad. Over the past two years he has also been involved in
reviving cotton Benarasi sarees in pure khadi and vegetable hand block prints
from Bagru.

Ritu Kumar

Fig. 3.10 Ritu Kumar

Source: http://topnews.in/
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Course 2 Ritu Kumar is known for keeping alive the styles, textures and fabrics of
India (Fig. 3.10). No other designer has promoted Indian ancient textiles for
so long. She prevented India’s heritage of prints and weaves from dying out.
She began with four hand-block printers and two tables in a village in
Kolkata. Today, her business is spread across the globe, making it first
ranking Indian fashion label. She began by selling hand-printed sarees and
now sells everything from gift items to handbags to dresses. Kumar has
written a book-‘Textiles and Costumes of Royal India’ with the Christies of
London. She launched her ready-to-wear line in 2002 with her brand ‘Label’
and has twelve outlets spread across India.

Check Your Progress IV

Note: Use the space provided for your answer
1. Fill in the blanks:
a) In ancient India, clothing conveyed the social status or
……………..of a person in the society.
b) ………………..has written the book-‘Decoded Paradox’ in 2011.
c) Ritu Beri opened her studio named …………….. with the line she
created for her graduation.
d) ………………………. has been involved in reviving cotton
Banarasi sarees in pure khadi and vegetable hand block prints
from Bagru.
e) ………………. has written a book-‘Textiles and Costumes of Royal
India’ with the Christies of London.

3.8 LET US SUM UP

Fashion is a continuous process of change in the current styles of living. It
may be defined as a style/custom of dressing that is prevalent amongst people
or amongst any group of individuals at a given time. The path followed by a
fashion in its life-cycle is referred to as the fashion cycle. It is a bell-shaped
curve and has five stages: introduction, increase in popularity, peak of
popularity, decline in popularity and rejection.

The pendulum swing of fashion swings from a point of exaggeration in one

direction towards the opposite direction.

The unit describes general terms used in fashion like style, design, high
fashion- haute couture, couture, couturier, classics, fads, custom-made and
prêt-a-porter.

Sources of fashion inspiration help a designer pick up inspiration from his

surroundings and apply it to design new styles. Fashion adoption theories are
theories that explain the phenomenon of fashion. There are three theories of
fashion namely trickle-down, trickle-across and bottom-up theory. Factors
favoring and retarding fashion decide the growth or suppression of fashion in
an economy respectively.
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Fashion forecasting is the process by which a forecaster predicts future trends Fashion: An Overview
on the basis of some known facts and trends from the past by following a
series of steps. Popular Indian fashion designers like J.J Valaya, Ritu Beri,
Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Ritu Kumar have been discussed
in the Unit.

3.9 KEYWORDS
Avant-garde or Fashion Innovators: People who are extremely far ahead in
fashion and quickly adopt new fashions are called avant-garde

Collection: A group of apparel items that are presented together to the

customer
Conspicuous consumption: It is the spending of money to acquire luxury
goods and services to publicly display economic power

Fashion leaders: The group of people who look for new fashion and wear it
before it becomes generally acceptable are referred to as fashion leaders.
They constitute a small percentage of the population. They can be divided
into fashion innovators (those who create fashion also referred to avant-
garde) and fashion role-models (those who have a good public appearance
and are leaders in some field and are often seen on public media)
Knock offs: A copy or imitation of something popular

Trend: A general direction in which something is developing or changing

3.10 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED

READINGS
Brannon E. L.(2006). Fashion Forecasting. New York: Fairchild
Publications.
Frings G. S.(1998). Fashion from Concept to Consumer,6thEd. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall Publications.
Kaur N.(2010). Comdex Fashion Design, Volume 1, Fashion Concepts. New
Delhi: Dreamtech Press.
Kefgen M., Touchie-Specht P.(1991). Individuality in Clothing Selection and
Personal Appearance.USA: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Phillips P., Bloom E. et.al.(1985). Fashion Sales Promotion.USA: John
Wiley and Sons.
Sengupta H.,(2005).Indian Fashion. Singapore: Pearson Education.
Tate S. L. (1989).Inside Fashion Design. 3rdEd.New York: Harper and Row
Publishers.
Links:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockoffaccessed February 2022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspicuous_consumption accessed January 2022
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Course 2
3.11 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS- POSSIBLE
ANSWERS
Check Your Progress I
1. Fashion may be understood as everything that is worn on the body and
that is done to or with the body; all the dress, clothing, adornment,
modification and so on that happens on and to the body is fashion.
2. The various stages of fashion cycle are:
• Introduction
• Increase in popularity
• Peak of popularity
• Decline in popularity
• Rejection
3. a) Designers or Couturiers
b) Pendulum
Check Your Progress II
1. High fashion or (haute couture) refers to highly fashionable garment
styles that are expensive and exclusive and has excellent quality in terms
of design, workmanship and fabric quality.
2. Prêt-a-porter is the French term for ready-to-wear garments whereas
custom made refers to the tailoring done for an individual according to
their measurements.
3. Classics are styles that remain in fashion for a long time since they
continue to be accepted by people. For example, denim jeans, basic tees
etc.
4. a) Couturier
b) Couture
Check Your Progress III
1. a) Trickle-down theory
b) Bottom-up / Trickle-up theory
2. Five factors favouring fashion are:
• Attempts for Profit- Manufacturers like to change fashion and this
results in production and sale of clothing. A customer might feel like
it is a wastage of money but from the manufacturer’s point of view,
it’s a good reason to make customers buy clothes.
• Spread of Fashion- There are various ways of spreading fashion
like fashion shows, newspapers, magazines and television. Any new
fashion shown at any of the mediums has the capacity to spread
across and it depends on the rate at which fashion is spread and
accepted by people.

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 • Economic Independence- In the last century, only wealthy could Fashion: An Overview
follow fashion because of lack of funds. But in the twentieth
century, there has been in general, increase in family income and
therefore, more people follow what is in fashion.
• Transport and Communication Facilities- Means of
communication - television and internet have made spread of fashion
instantaneous. Women and men can easily see and adapt the latest
fashions on the internet. So, it does not take more than few weeks
for an existing fashion to spread through the country.
• Political Freedom- As a nation, if people face some taboos on what
they should wear or restrictions based on their social status, spread
of fashion becomes difficult. But in the twentieth century, with the
empowerment of women, increased education and awareness, people
have more freedom to choose and adopt new fashions and follow
them.
3. Three factors retarding fashion are:
• Low Income- Fashion adoption wastes money and consumers that
do not have sufficient income to spend on fashion, adopt fashion
only when they reach the mass market and become affordable.
• Religious and Traditional Limitations-Some religious leaders might
not approve new fashions and hence the community may not adopt
those fashions.
• Absence of Favourable Conditions- If the factors mentioned like
well-established transport and communication channels are not
available, spread of fashion is limited.
Check Your Progress IV
1. a) Rank
b) JJ Valaya
c) Lavanaya
d) Sabyasachi Mukherjee
e) Ritu Kumar

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