Karan Johar wears Raja Ravi Varma. Image from Google

Art and fashion have shared a long relationship. In Indian clothing traditions, the creation of women’s garments such as the sari and other attire has largely depended on craftsmanship, whose various forms can be seen in practices ranging from phulkari and kantha to many other textile arts. All these art forms have historically been connected with practical use.

In the 1990s, some young fashion designers in Delhi collaborated with a few artists. Designers such as Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Anuradha Mafatlal, Rohit Khosla, and others  incorporated paintings by well-known artists of that time—such as S. H. Raza, Manjit Bawa, C. Jagdish, Akbar Padamsi, Anjolie Ela Menon, etc.—into their designs. Since then, the world has changed considerably. While collaborations between art and fashion have continued in the Western world, such experiments have been relatively rare in India.

When the author of this piece once spoke with Manjit Bawa about the event called “Art Wear”, he mentioned that he would not like to be part of such an initiative at present, as he believed that art is a more serious pursuit. Today, however, artists may not think in the same way. Many young artists have collaborated with fashion designers whenever opportunities have arisen.

Esha Ambani with mango sculpture by Subodh Gupta. Image from Google

People may have forgotten the “Art Wear” event, but recently at the Met Gala in New York, Indian designers once again presented a fusion of art and fashion. Renowned filmmaker Karan Johar wore an outfit designed by Manish Malhotra and styled by Eka Lakhani, which featured various images inspired by the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. Photographs of Karan Johar from the fashion show have been going viral these days. The artwork on the outfit was hand-painted and included zari-embroidered borders, three-dimensional pillars, lotus motifs, and swans, while even the lining of the jacket was hand-painted. The creation of this ensemble took 86 days of meticulous work. Clearly, this outfit represents a seamless merging of Indian painting and fashion.

Mask created by Subodh Gupta. Image from Google.

At the same event, the presence of contemporary artist Subodh Gupta was also noteworthy. A mango-shaped sculpture created by him was carried by Isha Ambani like a purse, attracting much attention. Subodh Gupta had earlier exhibited mango sculptures in 2010 and again in an exhibition last October. However, another of his creations also drew attention at this show—a steel mask made in his signature style, incorporating Indian utensils as its central elements. When Ananya Birla walked the red carpet wearing this mask, it offered audiences a completely new experience.