 "Exclusive! Model Nayanika Chatterjee on ageism in the fashion industry and how it's still not…")
At the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week 2024, veteran model Nayanika Chatterjee opened up in an exclusive interview with Firstpost about why she thinks inclusivity in the fashion industry is a sham, how fashion has changed and evolved over the years, and much more.
When asked about inclusivity in the fashion industry, Nayanika said, “Honestly speaking, I think inclusivity is quite a sham. There are very few designers like Gaurang and a few others who actually include all of us. Now it’s always thinner, younger. That’s always been the trend. So I have to be honest, it’s very few and far that actually lead in it from within. A lot of people do it because they want to show that they’re inclusive but they don’t necessarily do it. And they do it when it’s in season. And when the season dies out, then you see only. few people like him and some others who will still call me and say, no, it doesn’t matter what size.”
And about Menopause, the model responded, “No menopause, come and do it.”
She then spoke about the evolution and change in fashion and explained, “Well, I think there’s a consciousness about sustainability, and it’s moving away from fast fashion to slower fashion now, which I think is great because I’ve always been a sustainable person myself, that I don’t believe in buying an outfit and just putting in your carpet after wearing it once. I would like to repeat a lot of things and usually that was only done with sari. Now we are actually doing it with artists as well. And I think that’s a great trend. And thing is that we are so rich in culture we are so rich in all kinds of artisanal work like embroidery, surface design for clothing and non clothing. So I think we are underutilized as an art sector in our country. There’s so much more. There’s so much more research that’s required. And it’s not about just making a commercial collection to film. If we can kind of delve into different parts of India and actually work with the artisans like some people do, then it makes it much more worthwhile.”
Lachmi Deb Roy is the entertainment editor of Firtspost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes huge interest in world cinema. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until its a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.