South Asian clothing and accessories have been in the spotlight this week at the second South Asian New York Fashion Week, highlighting how styles from the region are both influencing and embracing current trends.
From textiles and patterns to beading and silhouettes, South Asian fashion has been impactful in the industry for centuries. Designers are now drawing further inspiration from the subcontinent, using brocade silk in Y2K and cottage-core trends, and tapping into the widely used draped silhouette of saris. The pieces are showcased at the New York City event running Sept. 9 through Sept. 13, in parallel to most of the New York Fashion Week.
Lenghas, the two-piece Indian formal outfits that include floor-length skirts and cropped shirts, have also made their mark on crop tops and two-piece gowns, said Hetal Patel, co-founder of the event.
“For a long time, the industry would take that inspiration, and a lot of major fashion brands would call it something else,” she said. “They would put it in the mainstream market, and everyone’s wearing it, but no one has the education and the knowledge that a lot of these inspirations for many centuries … stem from different parts of South Asia.”
Shipra Sharma, also co-founder of South Asian Fashion Week, pointed to materials like raw silk and chiffon-crepe that are used globally but gained popularity in South Asian designs. The region also pioneered specific patterns like paisleys and tie-dye embroidered designs called bandhani.
“So much of these aspects are South Asian-inspired,” Sharma said. “All of these elements — the due credit wasn’t given to the community.”
Sheel Yerneni, the founder and designer of Svarini, said her collection was an amalgamation of her identity as a Gen Z and a South Asian woman. She said she leaned into the current fashion trends from platforms like TikTok while also bringing in popular couture fabrics and patterns.
“It is a blend of all of my heritages. It’s very much royal-core and cottage-core…
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