“The way we tell stories through our clothes has changed”: Elle India editor Supriya Dravid speaks for new-age Indian fashion

Supriya speaks about how the current landscape of fashion in the country allows an expression of quiet confidence through the clothes and how young designers are risk-takers

Has the landscape of fashion in India changed? Yes, certainly. We have younger designers who are taking a lot more risks in giving vision to their dreams. The roster of the talent that we have championed at Elle Graduates includes people like Naushad Ali who operates on a zero-waste policy to Yadvi Agarwal and her painterly designs on traditional handloom textiles. In many ways, the way we tell stories through our clothes has changed. I like the fact that a young designer like Anvita Sharma places importance to the person than the gender through her label Two Point Two. Designers like Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice, and Rahul Mishra (also Elle Graduate winners) have gone on to win the International Woolmark Prize, no mean feat, for their signature design aesthetic (pleats and updated embroidery techniques) and impeccable finish. To them, it’s about the quiet confidence that their clothes exude, and how kind it is on our bodies through the materials used.

This foliage trench that Rahul Mishra showcased at his first ever Haute Couture Week in Paris is pièce de résistance, says Supriya Dravid (Model: Rakshita. On Rakshita: Outfit and shoes, Rahul Mishra)(Photo shot exclusively for HT Brunch by Hari Nair)