Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Dia Mirza, who looks as charming in traditional wear as in western outfits, is concerned about how a large part of today's generation in India finds western outfits "cool". She hopes they support homegrown creations for the betterment of Indian textile and handloom.
The actress-producer was here to attend designer Anita Dongre's show for her new label 'Grassroot' - a brand that pays tribute to the glorious craftsmanship of India at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week winter-festive 2015.
"A large part of our generation today is of the opinion that if we are in western garments, we are cool, and if we are not in a western garment, it's not cool. I think we need to change that," Dia, who herself looked stunning in an elegant traditional outfit designer by Dongre, told IANS.
Often, it is seen that when Bollywood actresses flaunt Indianwear at international red carpet events, they receive brickbats for not choosing something appropriate.
Stressing on how actress Nandita Das looked "amazing" in a sari that she wore at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year, Dia said: "This really is a time for the fashion bloggers in our country to think about what their prerogative of 'cool' is. I think when Nandita Das was at Cannes, she looked amazing with her exquisite clothes, but in that sense, everybody is open for their own opinion."
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Nevertheless, she believes that traditional textiles and handloom are "fashionable, cool and beautiful", and that she "deeply respects the treasures of India".
Dia even credits designers like Ritu Kumar and Dongre for "empowering artisans and giving them work" as well as the visibility as they gave to the workers by bringing them on the Lakme Fashion Week stage as showstoppers.
(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)
