Weaving the ‘Glocal’ experience (Local + Global)

With global appeal at its peak and fashion trends reaching the masses in real time through platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, brands are facing the challenge to constantly reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant. Fashion is one arena that has seen how global influences play a pivotal role in shaping people’s preferences consistently.

Contemporary Indian fashion has also seen a shift in the way trends are weaved into natively and internationally produced garments.

There has been a reawakening of interest and efforts to fuse traditional textiles and crafts heritage into mainstream Indian fashion, albeit with a modern outlook. Joining the fusion bandwagon, many clothing brands are revamping their design aesthetics to showcase collections that are rooted in history yet are in sync with the trending ethos. This amalgamation has channeled into creating a Glocal Experience, meaning global in approach but local in spirit. 

This change has been brought about by the desire to retain the Indian identity in a culture amidst a sea of foreign influences and fashion choices. Being a country rich in diversity, this only acts as an advantage in the way inspirations can be synthesized in varying combinations to create unique looks.

A majority of the urban Indian diaspora today recognize the importance of appreciating our rich textile heritage- world-famous for fabrics, handlooms, embroideries, prints, etc - and bringing their essence back into daily fashion.

In the context of this realization, there have been a lot of interesting interpretations of the modern-ethnic fusion, in a way that expresses the individuality of a person and represents their identities too. The result has been an impressive array of innovative designs across categories which covers a wide wardrobe range. This reimagination of style aesthetics has incorporated not only luxury, occasion, and wedding wear but also the everyday staples, casuals, and semi-formal wears, which ultimately add to the varieties one can enjoy wearing on a regular basis.

The Indian touch, no matter which part of our culture it's taken from, has the ability to add something new and intriguing to whatever garment it is added to, be it through fabrics, prints, silhouettes, or even embellishments. Such pieces are often perceived as those which have a story to tell and build some sort of an experience every time and anywhere you wear them. Indian styles also have the ability to easily blend with any modern or avant-garde international fashion- where both themes shine in their own way, without one undermining the other.

To stay in demand, brands need to be versatile and experimental, focus on capsule outfits, infuse comfort with style, and use ethnic elements which blend smartly with their design's USP (Unique Selling Point). This is something we have tried to achieve through our thoughtfully produced designs.

Balancing the contrasts of Indian aesthetics and uber modernity, we have materialized our own creative vision with bespoke collections that reflect the needs and style sensibilities of progressive Indian women today. Our pieces have been made for a variety of occasions and follow a minimalist approach with a focus on quality and longevity. 

One can now also observe the youth embracing the amalgamation of ethnic and eccentric elements and forging their own self-expression through it. Consequently, it gave rise to a sense of self-empowerment- not only in encouraging our custom artistry, but also to those wearing and inspiring others to rethink their style.

It is therefore the collective intent to enable mainstream fashion to transcend barriers and create an inspiring dialogue between various cultures. The talk of the town has been focussing on representation and diversity, and it has never been a better time to give them your own creative interpretation through clothing.

These changes thus act as a motivation for brands like Karuna Khaitan to keep pushing the limits of popular fashion and create a niche for ourselves by curating classics that stay through time and temporary fads.