Modi bringing Nehru jacket back in fashion

MUMBAI: Shantanu Mehra of the popular designer duo Shantanu & Nikhil believes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making the traditional Nehru jacket fashionable again.

“Our PM Modi is bringing the traditional Nehru jacket back in fashion. Though most of the politicians are either wearing western outfits or typical Khadi and white kurtas, they are not wearing such traditional outfits,” Shantanu said here.

“I feel that way, Modi is donning Nehru jackets that can inspire many young politicians to follow and make their fashion statement,” he said.

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“I think they need to groom themselves (politicians) better. They should wear more stylish outfits that will not only make them look good, but also make our country proud and fashionable. A Nehru jacket is apt for that,” he said.

The designer duo, known for fusing history and heritage with modern elements in their fashion, unveiled their new collection Kashmiriyat 1990 at the menswear fashion event Van Heusen and GQ Fashion Nights 2016 here.

While last year the duo worked on a theme of Partition of India and Pakistan, this year their work was the reflection of equality and unity in the diverse culture of Kashmir.

Mehra said, “We are going back to history and bringing back those memories through our fashion. Last year, when we worked on the partition theme, we intended to convey how we parted on a positive note.”

“This year, when we attempted to redefine Kashmiriyat of 1990, we highlighted on the unity in the diverse Kashmiri culture where there is a celebration of religious equality, a Kashmiri who possesses the sense of belonging as a Pandit or a Muslim.”

Politically, the valley is going through a turmoil situation. But the designer said: “The sense of belonging is the ray of hope that young Kashmiris have in their mind. There are Kashmiri folk singers and rock bands who performed at our shows that came all the way from Kashmir. Their songs, their music says that they live in hope. We celebrate that”.

As the menswear fashion is changing constantly and a certain fashion consciousness has developed among youngsters, where is the menswear industry heading to?

Mehra said, “In this country though men’s fashion has a lot of potential, it has not been given its due. Now that various avenues are opening up, menswear fashion shows are happening. This is the best phase. The market is growing. We have opened our three flagship stores.”