MUMBAI: 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:
Contemporary Indian beauty expert Lakmé continuously innovates to offer a wide range of high performance and world class color cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty salons. In addition to leveraging Unilever's worldwide expertise, Lakmé also partners with the leading cosmetic house Milan-based Intercos Italia, Schwann Stabilo Germany and Paris-based Fiabila. Combining international cosmetic technology with an indepth understanding of the Indian woman's needs, Lakmé also offers its consumers a comprehensive beauty experience through its products and services at the Lakmé Salons and Studios.
About IMG Reliance:
In 2010 Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest and most recognized private sector company headed by Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world's leading sports marketing and management company headed by Chairman and CEO Ted Forstmann, announced the formation of an equal joint venture to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. The joint venture company, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., will create and operate major sports and entertainment assets in the country. In its first initiative, IMG Reliance entered into an agreement with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India. IMG Reliance signed a 15-year agreement with the AIFF, to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level. IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including - basketball, soccer and tennis at IMG's world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.
About IMG Fashion:
IMG Fashion is dedicated to facilitating a gateway to the fashion world - from creation to consumer. We offer solutions that seamlessly connect and associate fashion's key constituents and corporate brands using IMG's global resources, influence and expertise. Within the fashion industry IMG represents the world's top models, leading designers and the most influential photographers, art directors and stylists. The division produces the leading fashion events around the globe and represents many of the industry's top organizations and federations as well as works with various local and national governments, creating regional and international fashion platforms.
