Queer Fashion Now celebrates diversity in Indian Fashion

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 23, 2018

Lakmé Fashion Week has collaborated with India Culture Lab and Verve Magazine for Queer Fashion Now, a three part initiative to celebrate diversity in the Indian fashion industry ahead of the upcoming spring/summer season.

Queer Fashion Now is a fashion initiative that aims to both explore and celebrate LGBTQ voices in the Indian Fashion industry. As part of this campaign, a “Queer Aesthetics Now!” panel discussion was held on January 20.

Moderated by Parmesh Shahani, the Editor of Verve Magazine, the panel also included Anjali Lama, a Nepali model who was the first transgender woman to walk the runway at Lakmé Fashion Week. Fashion designers and industry professionals also took part to discuss gender and sexuality in Indian fashion. Lakmé Fashion Week’s sponsor IMG Reliance has also expressed its support for the initiative.

The second part of the initiative was a mini film festival that premiered Nikhil D and Tsundue Phunkhang's latest film, “Boys of Safdarjung”. The night also featured live entertainment, a live dance performance, and DJs and created a welcoming atmosphere for young, queer creatives. The third part of the initiative was a fashion installation featuring designs by LGBTQ+ fashion designers. One of these, Nitya Arora of the jewellery and accessories brand Valliyan by Nitya, said: “I think it is very important… to celebrate the people who are the building blocks of fashion.”

As part of the initiative, Lakmé Fashion Week has been posting a series of videos on their social media sites interviewing those connected to the project. One of the interviewees, hairstylist Justine Rae Mellocastro spoke about how “gender fluidity is changing fashion” and this can clearly be seen in the fashion installation that features an array of innovative, gender neutral creations.

“Our vision in curating Queer Fashion Now was to bring together some of the most exciting young voices,” said Shahani.

With gender neutral styles making mainstream media in India and a shift in attitudes becoming apparent, it appears that this project is indeed a reflection of a wider change in the industry.