Fashion finds its muse in the city of Benaras

Fashion had the unlikeliest of muses in 2015. It courted the ancient city of Benaras. Famous for its beautiful brocades, this seat of learning and culture has found itself in the forefront of news ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his Make in India campaign. It seemed almost a given that his constituency would be the launch pad for the textile revival movement. But the fervour with which the industry would embrace this trend was unprecedented. And unexpected. Indian design has clearly found its new black and it is rooted in craft and colour.

Nothing established its status as a national treasure better than two of India's most prominent fashion events paying tribute to its traditions. Both Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) and Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) gave the city star billing in their latest seasons. LFW Winter/Festive 2015 themed its Indian Handloom and Textile Day 'Re-invent Benaras'. The lineup had younger designers showcasing their version of fine silks as jumpsuits and jackets. Sarees came in pop colours and lighter weaves. Bollywood celebrities made an appearance as show stoppers. But the headlining show of the day was by Ritu Kumar. The grand dame of Indian fashion had the industry stand up and take notice with her white-on-white cutwork and brocade sarees. Her revivalist skills were clearly on display. And reiterated at an exhibition held at Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, during the same time. Titled 'Woven Wonders of Varanasi', sarees by master craftsmen were displayed along with contemporary interpretations of the textile by marque names of Indian fashion like Krishna Mehta, Varun Bahl, Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Payal Pratap, Gaurav Gupta, Rohit Bal, Raghavendra Rathore, Anita Dongre, Raw Mango By Sanjay Garg and Manish Malhotra, to name a few.

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A few months later, Benaras stole the show again at Amazon India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016 when 16 designers were asked to showcase their version of the craft for the finale. Against an elaborate backdrop of the Ganga ghats, the country's finest displayed three garments each. The span included the traditional mastery of Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahiliani, the exaggerated silhouettes of Alpana & Neeraj, Atsu's modernistic interpretation, Arjun Saluja's androgyny and A&T and Rajesh Pratap Singh's pared down sophistication. This heavyweight display was perhaps one of the finest examples of the range and depth of Indian fashion's involvement with craft. If that was not enough the opening show for AIFW Spring/Summer 2016 was by fashion's It boy Sanjay Garg. His collection celebrated the made in Benaras ethos and while the silhouettes were simple, the workmanship created a wow moment with every single garment. Critical acclaim was there for everyone to witness with his front row which was packed with the intellect of heavyweights such as Deepti Naval and Konkona Sen Sharma. The final nod came when Masaba Gupta wore his clothes for her sangeet ceremony in November.

Back to the basics: Ethnic textiles, hues and crafts were back in vogue all year.

This revivalist movement has been in the making for a while, gaining momentum with every season. It stems from a broader conversation that Indian craftsmanship has had with the fashion industry, since its inception. Just look at the first half of 2015 itself. For the Fall/Winter 2015 season, AIFW had 25 designers come together for a 'Crafts of India' finale. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was commemorating its 25th edition of fashion week and a celebration of Indian artistry was the obvious choice. The show was a veritable handbook of textile and design, spanning the past to the present. It was an incredibly busy year for the FDCI which not only puts together the largest fashion week in India, it also worked on reviving khadi along with the Gujarat State Khadi & Village Industries Board. This year saw two shows in Ahmedabad that had collections by Anamika Khanna, Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Pero by Aneeth Arora and 11.11/Eleven.Eleven as part of its lineup. It was evident that the fabric of India was firmly in fashion.

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A fact abundantly made clear to the world by the hugely ambitious and prestigious Fabric of India exhibition held at the V&A museum in London which opened on October 3, 2015. In a note sent out by the museum it was announced that the idea was "to fully explore the incomparably rich world of handmade textiles from India." While it saw mixed reviews - inevitable if you describe it to be the total story of Indian fabric from the 3rd century to present day-there is no denying its scale and ambition. From Tipu Sultan's 18th century tent or "moveable palace" to contemporary fashion, 200 objects showcased the process of handmade from dyeing, weaving, block printing and embroidery. Indian designers were an integral part of this showing here as well. Every press release had an image of the Houndstooth saree created by the masters of textile Abraham & Thakore. Curators of the exhibition were also very excited to have the works of Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Arora and Rajesh Pratap Singh as part of this collection for their role in representing the new direction of Indian textiles.

The India abroad moment was sealed by Rahul Mishra when noted fashion commentator Suzy Menkes described him as a "national treasure" while reviewing his Spring/Summer 2016 collection, shown at Paris Fashion Week. He applied the Chanderi tradition of weaving to wool-the same innovation that won him the International Woolmark Prize in 2014.

So why is 2015 the year craft has grabbed the headlines giving fashion its shining India moment? Apart from years of training in the making, I would like to believe it stems from the realisation that authenticity is the key to survival. You have to know where you come from to be a success. Indian designers have the talent to compete with Italian and French houses on their turf but not in their language. The House of Chanel with its combined strengths of heritage and Karl Lagerfeld will always have a stronger voice in their milieu. Our context is our strength and Indian designers operate out of that space instinctively. For fashion to survive, particularly in an era of e-commerce discounting, it needs a key differentiator. And that can only come from tradition and textile. It helps that indigenous craft is deep rooted in the ethical and not tainted by the polluting qualities of fast fashion.