Welcome to the NICE Resource Center. Under the ‘Resources’ tab, we publish, update and maintain resources that are relevant for cultural entrepreneurs. In this blog, we present a collection of resources in the Fashion and Accessories category.
Please note: We will be updating this list regularly.
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Fashion Law is a nascent field in India. However there are some law firms that focus on this
Fashion law is a specific field of law that deals with legal issues that impact the fashion industry. Fundamental issues in fashion law include intellectual property rights such as copyright, patent, trademarks, trade designs.
A set of articles on the ‘fervent protection of intellectual property rights’, ‘Indian IP laws’ and fashion law’s ‘scope with reference to important case laws’. Read more at Law Corner, KP Legal, Legal Services India, Khurana & Khurana, Mondaq and Nishith Desai.
Bandana Tewari dreams of fashion that saves the planet
Bandana Tewari, a sustainability champion and fashion expert, shares her vision of making the fashion industry sustainable, innovative and disruptive.
She talks about innovations such as soft leather made from wine-making leftovers (grape skins), digital “smart” threads woven into garments to ease the recycling process, and climate-positive nylon made from water. She emphasizes the need to focus on circular fashion, by laying out a 360° design vision where every bit of everything made is reusable, adaptable or bio-degradable—a closed-loop vision for an open-minded future.” Read on Live Mint.
Sabyasachi’s journey of starting a brand with Rs 12,000 to becoming every Indian bride’s dream
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a globally acclaimed fashion designer, shares his thoughts on the future of fashion, how brands can help Indians feel proud of their culture, and what luxury means in India. From selling his books to buy an application form for NIFT to starting his business with a capital of Rs 12,000 to becoming the dream of every Indian bride, the journey of this fashion entrepreneur has a lot of insights to offer.
Sabyasachi explains why luxury is a reflection of one’s cultural identity and why consumers continue to buy expensive clothes from a luxury brand in a price-sensitive market like India. More of that story on the Business Insider.
Ayurvedic fabrics are the latest in luxe wellness. But are they fab or fad?
Our skin is not only a barrier to toxins but also a gateway for treatment. In this article, we learn about ayurvedic fabrics, their benefits and if we can wear our cure! Ayurveda rarely offers single-ingredient fixes. It is usually a carefully calibrated mix of herbs and oils. ‘Ayurvastra’ is a tradition that is said to be as old as Ayurveda itself. Learn on Live Mint.
Reviving the cotton industry’s lost glory with Malkha, the freedom fabric
76 year old Uzramma has been attempting to restore the 3000-year-old legacy of India’s cotton handloom tradition for the last 20 years. She is pushing to reinstate the autonomy of India’s small growers, ginners, spinners, dyers and weavers by promoting a sustainable way of life and environment-friendly living.
In this interview, we learn about her beginnings, growing up aware of the fact that privilege and social consciousness move together to developing an interest in artisanal crafts during her 10-year stay in England and why she uses Malkha (amalgamation of mulmul and khadi) in her journey to revive the country’s lost legacy. Read on The Better India.
India has 95% of world’s handwoven fabric: How we can save this heritage!
Indian handlooms hold a major chunk of the global handwoven fabric at 95%! Faced with fewer returns on heavy labor, the younger generation of weavers is trying to find new avenues of work to get easy money. With fashion designers stepping in with their ideas, handloom weavers have started to experiment. Here’s the story on The Better India.
A brand that empowers women artisans in rural India
Swara VOW (Voice of Women) is an ethical clothing brand founded by Asha Scaria. While initially met with skepticism by the women of the tribal communities in Dungarpur, the brand has not only provided sustained employment to the women but has also created a sense of empowerment in them.
Preservation of culture — cultural sustainability — is perceived as the ‘luxury pillar’ of the sustainability movement. There has been an increase in interest in shopping local, ethical and sustainable over the lockdown. Read more on The Hindu.
Experience tour at Creative Bee Natural Dye Farm in Hyderabad encourages visitors to learn a craft or two
The Creative Bee Farm, founded by the couple Bina Rao and Kesav Rao, has long attracted international textile students who would come to learn about Indian textile crafts. This fashion enterprise has been working on handloom textiles for domestic and export orders, mostly to Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
A visit to the Creative Bee Farm allows visitors to understand and try their hands on Ikat weaving, Batic crafts, pottery and more. A one-stop cultural experience for creative entrepreneurs, handloom connoisseurs and more. Find out more on The Hindu.
Aditya Birla Fashion buys 51% stake in Sabyasachi for Rs 398 crore
In Jan 2021, Sabyasachi, India’s largest luxury designer brand signed a definitive agreement to sell a 51 per cent stake in the brand to Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited. The Aditya Birla Group company said that it expects to build a large ethnic wear business over next few years. The Sabyasachi brand, through its emphasis on excellence in design and craftsmanship, reported Rs 274 crore revenue in financial year 2019-20. Read on Business Today.
After Sabyasachi deal, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail announces strategic partnership with designer Tarun Tahiliani
Tarun Tahiliani, India’s ace designer, entered into a a strategic partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, to launch a contemporary men’s ethnic wear brand. The existing couture brand will continue to benefit from the fast-growing luxury segment of the market. More on Money Control
Mahila Print: co-creating block printed Designs with women artisans in Bagru
Mahila Print is the first-of-its-kind platform designed to ensure protection of indigenous designs created by women artisans in Bagru and facilitate access to market for artisans while providing women artisans of Bagru creative freedom, recognition of IP Rights and fair compensation. Read more here – Cultural Intellectual Property.
Cultural Fashion: Transform the fashion industry from villain to hero | Monica Boța-Moisin | TEDxTUM
Monica Bota Moisin is a lawyer for Cultural Intellectual Property (CIP) in fashion as well as founder of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative (CIPRI) where she is working on a framework to preserve traditional culture expressions and build bridges between traditional artisans and the fashion industry.
In her TED talk, she challenges the cultural sustainability of plagiarism and cultural misappropriation in the fashion industry and proposes new ways for how the fashion industry can become the ambassador of traditional garments. Watch her TEDx talk.
Going Desi: A dhoti for a degree
As if cocking a snoot at the colonial legacy left behind by the British, the iconic black gown, hood, mortar board and cap is giving way to sarees, dhotis, angavastras and the pagdis across Indian educational institutions. The switch in the convocation attire had been coming with a few early adopters such as IIIT-H, but it got a boost in May 2019 when the Government decided to step in making traditional attire mandatory during convocation. Read more on the IIIT Blog
The Shilp Route
Gocoop connects India’s artisans, weaver co-operatives and clusters directly with consumers across the world.
Their global platform brings together handloom, handicraft artisans and cooperatives to ensure fair prices for both buyer and seller.
Can India’s $500 million fragrance market survive the pandemic?
India is an inspiration to the perfume industry all over the world, supplying raw materials and ideas! The worst hit by the pandemic is the fine fragrance segment with the shutdown of duty-free stores, which sell 80% of the world’s perfumes. Know more on Mint Lounge.
