Saarah Umrethwala
BSc in Fashion Design, Bangalore
Decolonised – JD Design Awards 2024
Meet “Decolonized,” an exquisite haute couture clothing line by Saarah Umrethwala, a student pursuing the BSC in Fashion Design at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology Bangalore won the “Ready-To-Wear Innovator Award” at the JD Design Awards 2024. This collection is a perfect mixture of the classical Indian suits and the contemporary details and severity of the clothes. It integrates the identities of the past and the visions of the future, which gives each piece its own value.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The term ‘‘decolonized’’ is derived from the concept of decolonization in fashion, which is the process of eradicating the impact of colonization and negating the earlier system of power. Still, the collection’s intent is to assert the position of Indian style as dominant by positioning the collection as a reimagining of classic Indian occasion wear for the modern day. Just like the tailored lines of conventional evening gowns, a kind of avant-garde that stripped all the femininity off traditional dress and modeled all the continuity, self-confidence, and allure of a deeply assertive personality. The culture concept comes into play here and respects ethnic values in equal measure as it encourages the right and sustainable advancement in fashion.
The concept behind the design is “decolonized,” and what is the idea behind the name? It aims to dismantle regular Indian wear and incorporate elements of change. The art of Koran embroidery, a treasured form of craftsmanship of the Bohra people, is incorporated in some notable degrees in the clothing, along with added pans of local history. To include a contemporary and futuristic touch, UV threads that transform the color of fabrics in sunlight are incorporated into the clothing, whereby they signify mixed culture. These accents not only beautify but also signify the protest against the rigid conventions calling people with the respective accessories to remain connected to their roots in a rapidly transforming world.
JDDA 2024
This collection can be viewed as being in perfect synchrony with the theme of the show by eliminating time and style differences. Therefore, elements of the past intermingled with future apparatus make “Decolonized” speak to modernity in a way that is something the general public would resonate with. Koran embroidery and UV threads are not as simple as adding dimensionality and getting rid of the gloss, but they convey a message of a culture that learns the process of survival. But this only showed how glamour can also be a means of announcing to the world about one’s identity or civilization, embracing the late and contemporary at the same time.
As for the aspects of material and coloring, “Decolonized” is a marriage of opulence and philosophy. Articles of clothing such as satin, georgette, and khadi lend a classy tone to Koren embroidery work executed on them. Since it reflects a woman’s beauty and the beauty of the clothes she wears—tender and delicate—the color range of pastel pink, lilac, white, and cream makes this collection only appropriate for exclusive occasions such as haute couture. Every item in “Decolonized” is as much a piece of fabric that can be worn as a message of self-empowerment for people of color and progressive fashion aesthetics that encourage people to be proud of their roots.
Saarah Umrethwala
BSc in Fashion Design, Bangalore
www.jddesignawards.com