On the final day of the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2012 season, Umang Huttesing, President of the Huttesing Design Company and promoter of Indian textiles and crafts around the world; presented a very informative and interesting talk on the subject, “Celebrating Indian Textile Heritage from Indus Valley to present Day”.
“It is a journey of 4700 years to the present times,” informed Umang who is very passionate about the textile and crafts of India, having presented several collections to elite audiences in the USA, Paris and around the world.
Associated with Lakmé Fashion week from 2000, when the first event was held in Delhi, Umang has been following the success of the event and his talk took the audience on a colourful journey starting from Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in 1750 BC when cotton was found; right down to Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2012.
“Not many people know that the word Sindhu means, Cotton and that the making of cloth was the earliest industry in India and that indigo originated in India. Centuries ago people called cotton – woven air, running water, or evening dew and even Herodotus the Greek scholar called cotton “tree wool” since the Greeks only wore wool.”
Apparently even names like muslin, chintz, calico, Palampore are of Indian origin.
According to Umang, the Greeks and Roman empires nearly went bankrupt since they came to Surat in ships laden with 300,000 gold coins to buy cotton. Apparently, Augustus Caesar taxed Indian textiles when they were sold in Rome. The Far East loved the double ikat Patola which is considered an auspicious cloth and there are paintings of Josephine, wife of Napoleon wearing a gown made from Pashminas.
After the independence of India, khadi became one of the most popular fabrics and it is sustainable too informed Umang.
India is the leader of cotton and Umang informed that France and England prohibited Indian textiles. “Today India is known for snakes and Bollywood and not its beautiful textiles but the impact of India on global fashion is immense,” emphasized Umang.
Umang, who was a part of the first Lakmé Fashion Week, is thrilled that the event has moved from 24 shows and 33 designers to 50 shows and 83 designers, a pulsating Source section and buyers thronging the event from all over the world.
“Today foreign brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Canali and Hermes are again looking at India for inspiration like they did in the past and India is leading the way to fashion,” concluded a thrilled Umang Hutteesing.
About Lakmé Fashion Week:
Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) is jointly organized by Lakmé, the No.1 cosmetics and beauty services brand in India and IMG Reliance, the global leader in sports and entertainment event marketing and management. LFW has been conceived and created with a vision to “Redefine the future of fashion and Integrate India into the global fashion world”. LFW is organized twice every year. LFW Summer/Resort 2012 will be held from March 2 to March 6, 2012 at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai. For further information log on to http://www.Lakméfashionweek.co.in
