FASHION & THE CITY

Globally,each year the big daddy’s of the fashion world gather to forecast the trends of the fashion industry.Sometimes you wonder if these ‘so called’ international trends cater to the needs of the hoi polloi of the society. Do these fad translate into the lives of Vaishali (fictional name)living in one of the rustic towns of the country? This was not a possibility a few years ago but as internet &media have infiltrated our lives, getting fashion tips have become easier.

A decade ago when the bevy of Hollywood beauties were spotted in beautiful and fluid evening gowns we often used to think to ourselves that these are only the forte of the actors or the socialites but ,surprisingly, over the years, these iconic outfits have made their debut in our fashion society circles. This holds true not only for the metros but also for the non metros.Most of the big Indian fashion designers agree that they have seen a surge in demand arising from the relatively smaller towns.For instance the young brides of today want a indo-western or fusion outfits for their engagement/reception ceremony.Apparently,this trend is not new in our country. The Maharajas of India have always been known for their high tastes in fashion.

An Indian woman is no longer satisfied with a churidar/ saree.’She’ has become experimental and is in sync with the international style. This is strengthened from the fact that all the big international fashion fashion houses are now queuing up for shops in India. Designers like Tommy Hilfiger &CK have opened their boutique showrooms in non metro cities thus taking more people in its stride. Well,I guess, everyone wants to put their best foot forward be it a metro girl or small town lass. This is the prime reason that coterie of boutiques/ fashion designers have mushroomed from ‘Patiala to Patna’.

The divide(in terms of wealth) between the small and big towns has narrowed.India has one of the largest pool of billionaires with most of them hailing from the relatively lesser known cities of the country.’They’ are young, smart,swanky and uber cool.’They’ know their fashion and like to flaunt it too.So next time whether you attend an event in Mumbai or Meerut be prepared to experience fashion at its best because global trends truly, have percolated into the realms of the Indian society.

‘Main bas ek housewife hoon’ echoes the protagonist of Tata Tea ad in a dismal tone on being asked by her banker friend about her occupation. This latest ad from Tata Tea compels us to ponder that, is being a house wife a reason to be looked down upon by peers, society and your partner alike? The point which everyone fails to understand is that every woman worldwide is a housewife with the only difference that some take it as a full time job and some take it as a part time job.


To be successful in any job you require to hone your craft but not when you choose to be a home maker as every woman is born with the skill set required to ace in the art of managing home.
Have you actually given a thought how closely the various fields of MBA are related to the day to day activities performed by a ‘typical housewife’.



Over the years our good old 'munims' have been replaced by tie clad professionals to help companies in taking tough financial decisions. These people are constantly engaged in budegeting, forecasting and projecting but the woman in the house are constantly on their toes when it comes to planning for the finance for their household. I agree that it may not require that kind of precision but some of these household lessons like cost cutting can prove to be of great help.

Have you ever wondered why your toothpaste last exactly for a month or why 'she' always has the next one already lined up in a cupboard? 'She' is your home made supply and logistics manager.

On an average a father spends 2 hrs a day with a child which approximately amounts 15300 hrs in a year compared to a stay-at-home mother who spends 613200 hrs in a year.While you are busy raking the moolah she is busy 'branding' your childern with utmost traditions and values so that when they grow up, you swell your chest with pride.

India is a country where domestic help can be easily sought.With the whole line up of drivers, cleaners, cooks, guards etc 'she' is busy managing ' her workforce'. 'She' is solely responsible for employee motivation by applying innovative methods of giving bonuses in cash and kind during festivals.

In this generation 'youngistaan', participation of women in workforce has increased manifolds. These days women have a solution to global crisis but cannot manage a simple crisis at home when their cooks dont turn up for work.It is time we pay respect to our mother/wives alike who chose to take care of their family so that you dont skip morning breakfast yet again!The time is not far when we will have degrees specialising in the art of home making.Its time we pay homage to all the superwomen in our lives.

As someone rightly said:

' A man searches the world to find the things but returns to find it at home.'