When my grandmother moved to India over 60 years ago she was fresh out of college
and newly married to my grandfather, a United Nations diplomat. They settled in
Delhi just as the subcontinent began the transition from being ruled by white
sahibs and maharajas to becoming the biggest
democracy in our world today. While my grandfather filled his days with UN
business, my grandmother submerged herself in urban India’s art and culture
scene. She aided struggling artists get visas abroad, where they were soon
catapulted into fame. Modernist painter M.F. Hussain and Ravi Shankar were
amongst her friends. My grandmother helped these artists leave India to achieve
their dreams because in India it was en vogue to emulate Anglo culture.
So-called positivism art and distinctly Indian music was not chic to the few
wealthy Indians who could afford to support the artists. It must be noted however that M.F. Hussain one of India's best known artists is also highly controversial artist. Hussain has been accused of obscenity in several cases filed against him in a number of Indian states. He is alleged to have offended Hindus with a painting in which he represented India as nude goddess.
Nude 'Bharatmata' Painting by MF Hussain
am happy to say that "not chic" is is the case no longer. I recently returned from three
months in India, a trip that I had been dreaming of since childhood when I sat
enraptured by grandmother’s tales of exotic adventures across the Subcontinent.
Having read numerous books about the growing “consumer class” in India and the
globalization—or Americanization—occuring around the globe, I worried that I
might find Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and other cosmopolitan hubs filled with
women in jeans and Wal-Marts. Wealthy Indians are indeed growing in number and
in wealth, but I discovered that this does not necessarily coincide with the
forsaking of Indian culture and style.
In fact, it has lent itself to a fantastic convergence of Western trends
that you might spot at New York’s fashion week and Indian traditions. Luxury malls not only contain Louis Vuitton and Prada, but also local designers. Wandering around Colaba, in South Mumbai you can stumble upon a number of designer shops. They contain western-styled fashions made from beautiful Indian cut-silks, elaborate wedding sarees, printed cotton kaftans for the beach and beaded gold sandals. What’s great is that these aren’t just exotic finds for wealthy tourists to wear in Goa, but are pieces that you see Indian women wearing out on the street (though she may have a Prada handbag to accessorize…).
For
one, you can see this in the case of music. Mumbai has a number of hip, high-end music venues and clubs where you
can find a renowned tabla player just as often as an international jazz
quartet. Musicians no longer must seek financial stability abroad, but can find
a base of support from Indian youth and adults alike. South Indian film
composer AR Rahman has been a national celebrity in India for decades and only
recently came to international attention, winning a Golden Globe and Academy
Award last year for Slumdog Millionaire. He is known for combining rock, pop,
Carnatic, Hindustani and Western classical styles to create a uniquely
modern—yet Indian—sound.
Indians
have always been adept at creating great hotels (the Taj Mahal in Bombay was
established in 1903 after its creator was refused entry into the “whites only”
British-run luxury hotel), but this year the ITC group has taken it to a new
level. The ITC’s Royal
Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore has opened India’s first LEED-certified
eco-hotel and is based on the concept of merging luxury and
environmental-friendliness, proving that you don’t have to forgo one for the
other. Décor is inspired by local Mysore design, and Indian reviews raved that
the bathrooms even include Indian-style toilets (a surprising rarity in the
country), also proving that you mustn’t trade Indian traditions for
Western-style luxury... as exemplified by the unique vertical gardens in the Royal Gardenia's lobby.
Finally,
and what was most exciting to me, was the fashion in India’s urban centres.
While I was expecting to find the great fabrics of Rajasthan and chunky Tibetan
silver in the North, I hadn’t anticipated the fantastic, rather high-end
shopping in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta.
My favorite store was Bombay Electric, where they source
hand-woven cashmere sweaters, vintage photos of maharajas, and sequined
mini-dresses made from Indian cut-silk (as shown above).
Guest Post Author For Globally Gorgeous:
Sarah Malachowsky
