Clothing and fashion apparel brands seem to have made a resolution to give voice to the women of India. Moving away from frivolous concepts, bold and edgy ads have become the new norm when it comes to fashion brands.
India’s tryst with victim shaming and blaming, impossible beauty standards for women, preferential treatment to men, dowry, and the broader problem of gender bias and inequality are all themes that fashion brands have tackled head on through their hard-hitting campaigns. The change in tonality infuses strength and character to a category that is generally not identified with advertisements that deliver a punch.
Fashion is easily classified as superficial even though making even the simplest of fashion choices is mostly met with severe judgment, ridicule and shaming. “Never before has the world been so connected and yet so intricately woven into a mesh of tribes and beliefs as it is today. And each voice and tribe have a platform to be heard in the form of social media. Clothing as a category is one we consume everyday and is intimately linked to our emotional core of how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen by others. Fashion can no longer just be about “looking pretty” and “attracting the opposite gender”, fashion brands that want a long-term, meaningful relationship with their consumers have to be able to forge a bond based on shared ideal.