Manish Malhotra: The handloom has "taken the centre stage"

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 6, 2018

After showing a Kerala handloom collection at the recent India Fashion Summit, Manish Malhotra has heralded handloom as the future of Indian fashion and committed to sustainability.

Speaking at the recent India Fashion Summit in Kochi, Malhotra told the Asian Age that handloom has “taken centre stage” in the Indian fashion industry. Malhotra attributed much of the recent popularity of handloom textiles and sustainable fashion to social media with influencers sharing their love of sustainable and traditional textiles like Khadi and fashion conscious consumers following suit.

“Today’s generation is extremely aware and is going back to a lot more handloom and cotton,” opined Malhotra. “Some time back, it was considered very intellectual or artsy. It is back to the form it used to have in the earlier days of fashion.” Malhotra raised the issue of pollution caused by the garment production industry and stated that, although it is impossible to produce 100 percent sustainable garments, raising awareness is the first step and that, if designers are aware, they are sure to pursue sustainability to some degree.

Malhotra praised India’s young generation for their increased focus on ethics. “The young generation is so evolved, they are much more aware than a generation a decade ago,” said Malhotra. However, not only forward thinking youngsters are sporting handloom textiles, the textile is increasingly used in traditional wear again. “Brides and bridegrooms today want to wear cotton for at least one function. There are stars who wear handloom and cotton on the red carpet. It is a big brand today,” said Malhotra.

Manish Malhotra began working in fashion in India in 1990 as a costume designer in the Bollywood film industry and went on to open a couture store in 1999. Malhotra launched his eponymous brand proper in 2004 and has shown collections since in India and abroad including fashion weeks in South Africa and Dubai.