As we stand face-to-face with pressing global issues, one thing is clear: it’s time to accept the new normal. Which means looking at things from a different lens. And when it comes to redefining fashion and beauty, we turned to two industry experts for their thoughts.
Ace fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee was joined by yogi, author and founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, in an Instagram Live for the #ELLExTataCliQLuxuryForum series.
Here are the key takeaways from their conversation:
Lockdown learnings:
“From childhood, you have been taught in this mortal life, there is limited time. If you understand this, during the lockdown that we are mortal and time is ticking away, naturally people will do what matters to them, we will have a beautiful world!” said Sadhguru. Sabyasachi echoed the sentiment: “We need to reprioritise. Because I see the same thing in the business I am in. They are really unhappy with what they do.”
Sustainability and the textile industry:
“Now, a whole lot of people have reverse migrated to their hometown. Both agriculture and textile will grow. Forty-five billion people are employed in the textile industry. That’s our strength and decades ago, the East India Company systematically destroyed it. At one time we were clothing the whole of Europe. We can again get back as the values of sustainability from high society is slowly dripping down to the middle-class,” opines Sadhguru.
Importance of honing soft skills:
“We’ve demonstrated great skills in IT and telecom but I think India still has to tap into some of our greatest assets, our soft skills, our tradition and craft heritage, which we’ve sustained over generations. What role can our government, influencers, consumers, companies, play to promote that and create a culture of capital in the global market?” Sabyasachi asked.
Sadhguru criticised the current education system and said, “I’ll become very unpopular with what I am going to say now but compulsory education is the murder of all soft skills in this country. In India, we do a lot with our hands that not many can do… these things can’t happen after 18 years. You have to learn at a very early age, you have to observe your parents doing it, you to be there to get that skill. So sending everybody to the British kind of system, which was only produced to design clerks for their majesties is not going to work.”
Fashion and beauty as industries:
“The fashion and beauty industries have for the longest time preyed on the insecurities of people to increase their bank balance,” Sabyasachi stated. “How can fashion and beauty together contribute to a more sustainable dialogue that can lead to wellness in society?” he asked Sadhguru.
“I think the entire fashion industry is trying to fit in women into a male requirement. I think you should fit women in her requirement of what she wants to be and not how a man wants her to look. If that change happens, there will be a whole lot of change. Men’s fashion does not need any change as it is according to male requirements. Above all, what makes you comfortable and feel better or attractive… a little enhancement of who you are is perfectly fine. Going overboard by killing your wellbeing and comfort to look like a particular way has to go,” replied Sadhguru.
Watch the full conversation below:
View this post on Instagram
