ABSTRACT
“India's affair with luxury is not only recent but has been part of its heritage for more than 3,000 years,” explained fashion designer Rohit Bal at a press conference prior to the opening of the first India Couture Week in Mumbai. 1 “Couture Week is not only relevant to India,” Bal contended, “but is deeply woven into its philosophy. Even though indulged in by just a few, haute couture has found its place in India and is here to stay.” 2 Bal's statement was made in the context of an event sponsored by the Fashion Design Council of India, an organization composed of over two hundred members and corporate partners engaged in “making earnest endeavors so that Indian fashion labels become as chic as other global brands.” 3 In order to understand the reasoning behind such statements, which seem particularly provocative in the face of pervasive and enduring poverty throughout much of India, we must examine two central questions: what has sparked this popular interest in creating and promoting a unitary Indian fashion industry, and who has the power to define its parameters?
