New Delhi, Celebrated fashion designer Manish Malhotra believes that innovative silhouettes with an essence of local craftsmanship, culture and a touch of modernity can work wonders for the globalisation of Indian crafts.
"What works for our Indian crafts is the mix of craftsmanship, culture and a touch of modernity that does not just mean the westernisation of Indian silhouettes but about a thought that leads to several unusual and innovative silhouettes like the sari jacket, lehenga anarkali, long kurtas with palazzos," Malhotra, one of the country's leading designers, told IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.
The 48-year-old has time and again gone out of his way to revive heirloom crafts like chikankari, phulkari and Kashmiri embroidery via his creations. His work is a hit among Indian celebrities, who proudly flaunt them on national and international platforms.
Since he believes that "no other country has a deep sense of culture, artistic value and rich history as India has", he says, "as a designer, it is my prerogative to preserve my heritage and create designs that reflect our contemporary India".