The rise of religious iconography in high fashion

Besides heavy embroideries, what's common between the recent couture collections of Rahul Mishra, Gaurav Gupta, Amit Aggarwal, and Vaishali S.? Using spiritualism as a concept to create garments.

Mr Gupta's Arunodaya collection, for instance, which was presented at the India Couture Week earlier this month, took inspiration from “dawn”, to present garments, largely in shades of blacks, pinks, golds, and blues, depicting the idea of how first light of day breaks the darkness. It seemed like an extension of his Jyotirgamaya collection, presented for Paris couture week earlier this year, which also resonated with “the spiritual journey from darkness to light”.

Mr Aggarwal's offering Antevorta (used in Greek philosophy to personify the Goddess of Future) in Delhi's couture week, on the other hand, delved into the connection between time and the universe, “highlighting that nothing exists outside its influence”.

Ritualistic symbolism 

At the 2024 Paris couture week, Mr Mishra, like Mr Gupta, referenced religious and cultural iconography in their own distinctive styles. For Aura, Mr Mishra took a departure from his signature blooms, fauna, and foliage and referenced the Hindu god Brahma. The multi-layered collection attempted to decipher the various characteristics of the energy that surrounds an individual. “Each individual is perceived to have an aura which represents their electromagnetic field—like that of the earth—and their emitted vibrations that connect them to the rest of the universe,” the collection note read.

Ms Vaishali, who presented her couture collection in Paris around the same time, too, explored the concepts of ritualistic symbolism in her saris and dresses, “using cording and handwork techniques to give the flat multilayered effect and a tridimensional flow of energy”. Given the political unrest all around, it seems designers are increasingly turning towards ancient wisdom to find harmony in design.

Opulence and spiritualism

Agrees stylist Isha Bhansali. She sees such collections as an introduction to India. "There was a time when people would associate India with yoga gurus, snake charmers, and elephants, but this modern cerebral reinterpretation of Indian culture is refreshing," she says. “It's the designer's way of offering an artistic introduction to Indian culture and its craft. Couture is an emotion. It's more of a feeling than mere clothing. It's about opulence embodied with spiritual significance,” says Ms Bhansali. "Traditionally too, couture has always been inspired by divine elements."

According to stylist Ami Patel, such collections are "a true reimagining of the Indian Vedic heritage. The Indian Vedic tradition is so universal and not ritualistic. Even Mr Gaurav's last 2023 collection, Shunya, was a beautiful reimagining of nothingness. Shunya is what you strive for when you meditate," says Mr Patel.

                                                   (By arrangement with livemint.com)