Vogue: India has arrived

I wanted to share with the BoF community an exciting step in the evolution of Indian fashion that marks the official arrival of India on the global fashion scene.

For years, Western designers and global brands have  used Indian craftsmanship, culture and history as  an inspiration for fashion. From intricate embroidery this season on Marchesa's "Raj and in Charge" dresses for Spring/Summer 2008 to khaki's from Gap, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie and Fitch that have outfitted generations of Americans, India's influence on global fashion goes all the way from the high-street to the high-end.

Today, my good friend Bandana Tewari, Fashion Features Editor of Vogue India , graciously sent me an image of the first cover for the newest magazine in Vogue's stable of global fashion magazines, which now number 17 in total. From Japan to France to Mexico to Switzerland, Vogue has been the undisputed arbiter of fashion and culture for over 100 years, since its launch in 1892 as a society magazine.

For its Indian debut, Patrick Demarchelier snared Gemma Ward to pose with Indian beauties Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Monikangana Dutta, Preity Zinta and Laxmi Menon. The magazine includes contributions from some of Vogue's internationally known contributors including Lucinda Chambers of British Vogue who styled the cover and editorial featuring Gemma Ward. The first issue is being feted tomorrow evening at a launch party at the immense Umaid Bhawan Palace in the Rajasthani city of Jodhpur.

The timing of the launch is no accident. With a long tradition of luxury in India and an estimated $500m domestic luxury market, global brands will now be eager to advertise their wares to India's growing middle class.

Congratulations to Editor Priya Tanna, Bandana and the rest of the team on a phenomenal first issue. Now that Indian fashion has officially arrived, I am looking forward to seeing and hearing the intelligent editorial and images that will communicate the latest in Indian fashion and culture -- not only to India, but to the world.  Finally, India will get credit for its rich history and creative contributions to global fashion. It's long overdue.

Comments

[AMIT S GAVATHE]

MYSELF PHOTOGRAPHER AMIT GAVATHE HERE .ITS'S GREAT THING NOW VOGUE COMES IN INDIA & SPECIALY IN BOMBAY.

[Jack Yan]

Very welcome, I must say: subcontinental fashion—with a far longer and far more glamorous tradition than anything in the occident—has been rising rapidly on the global scene in the last five years.

[xav]

hmmn....

i remember going to india every summer... and reading my moms womens era and femina. those magazines were ghastly to say the least, not to mention the fashion seemed so different from what i was used to.

where vogue indian goes editorially will be interesting, from a couple of different standpoints but especially how indian they keep it. I hope it isn't full of the 'fairest' light eyed, priety zinta, aishwarya rai types. I've heard they do it in vogue brazil and i'm hoping it doesnt happen to vogue india.

[Saif Diwan]

i saw the huge hoarding just outside my office in juhu. good to knw that vogue, finally, is here to rock.

[Chandan Mehta(student of IIHM Gurgaon)]

i attend the whole vogue magazine launch party at Jodhpur as a hospitality proffesional. i am happy that leading international fashion brand like vogue came to india. this will be a great oppertunity for indian fashion people to excel in world of fashion.the very glamorous and rich people who were there in the party were planing about the tie'ups with indian brands which will be a great news for indian fashion world.i wish 'VOGUE' roch the indian fashion business.

[b jaya]

how i can participate in this idea of business

[Sindhu]

Refreshing to find someone writing about Vogue India who is 'based' out of India. I have arrived a little late to this 'inaguration-of-VogueIndia' conversation but I wanted to point out that Vogue is doing more than just pretty faces. There are some pretty timely fashion issues (in this case eco-fashion) that is getting full frontal attention too! See here for what I mean http://devidollblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/truly-in-vogue.html#links
Well done to Vogue and to you, BoF. Keep it up.

[jillian]

I wish I could get an issue of this Magazine!

[Lisa Muller]

Why do all the models look alike??? Boring - same hair, same face, same makeup. What's up with that????
Looks like they've all been 'cloned' - jazz it up a little - the stero typical indian features is kinda boring...step out of the box...
Otherwise a step in the right direction.

[Bombchell - in Atlanta]

the cover is quite interesting to analyze.

I guess it will be cool to see what kind of stance vogue india will take, the "box" mightcreate, the ads they feature, the ideal of beauty, and variations of people they feature. hmm I wonder if I can purchase one nearby.