India shining

Manish arora and Anamika Khanna might be our most celebrated fashion exports to the West, but most Indian designers worth their salt now realise that to do well in the overseas market you need more than just a dash of luck.

Manish arora and Anamika Khanna might be our most celebrated fashion exports to the West, but most Indian designers worth their salt now realise that to do well in the overseas market you need more than just a dash of luck. 8220;We come to India to see how the designers work with their heritage, mix their textiles and balance modernity with tradition,8221; says Manon Schaap from Le Bon Marche, France8217;s leading departmental store. At the recent fashion week in Delhi, many designers put their interpretation of India on their autumn-winter collections. Rajesh Pratap Singh8217;s collection inspired by Mother Teresa, among other things, had an interesting take on saree drapes, which was interpreted as hoodsnbsp;attached to fitted tops, dressesnbsp;and jackets. The dhoti pants8212;pants which resemble dhotis from the back were another interesting variation done by Singh. Veteran designer Tarun Tahiliani put his signature drapes on his sari skirts while Anamika Khannanbsp;relied heavily on traditional Indian handicrafts for the prints on her garments. Puja Arya from Jaipur hadnbsp;put her local block-printing techniques to use to translate a Turkish inspiration on to the ensembles while Kavita Bhartia8217;s skirts came with indigenous gota work. 8220;The West does not look to us to see what we do with hats and suits. They want to see us use our own heritage in a contemporaneous manner. Unless we can do that, we8217;ll never makenbsp;a mark anywhere,8221; says Tahiliani. Time then,nbsp;to wear your patriotism on your sleeves!

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More