However towards the end of the 20th century a change was noticed in the trends of world fashion, with Indian fashion making it big at the fashion capitals of the world- NewYork, Milan, Paris and Dusseldorf. The first stirrings was noticed when Madonna went Indian wearing mehendi for one of her songs. Then Sting dressed in a kurta .

Following this the fameof our haute couture desi designers spread beyond Indian shores . No longer was it the western style gurus who added Indian touches to their creations, but our very own designers who have now begun to be recognised around the globe. Their creations are right up there with the best in the world.

At two consecutive Oscar nights, Dame Judi Dench wore Abu Jani -Sandeep Khosla creations. This preference is not just restricted to actresses. Even award winning costume designer, Lindy Hemmingway wore an Abu Jani -Sandeep Khosla creation to the Oscars this year.Way back in 1995 , Wendell Rodricks, who had displayed his collection at the German catwalks, was an instant success. Kurtas were transformed into tunics with dupattas attached to them . Another much acclaimed designer to return with orders from fashion stores abroad was Hemant Trivedi. He had been invited to display his creations at the prestigious Collections Premier Dusseldorf Fashion Show in 1999. And this year, it was Anita Dogra's turn at the Dusseldorf fair with her pastel work which was a big hit.

The Indian fashion scene has never seen such good times with Indian designers making headlines everywhere. Suneet Varma's creations had been featured in Vogue magazine. J J Valaya's clothes were put on display with Tod Oldman's garments, Ritu Beri has been receiving rave reviews from Suzy Menkes. Cherie Blair, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's better half, has more often than not, been spotted wearing a saree at official functions. Longines had sponsored Shahab Durazi, and later invited Hemant Trivedi to Munich to display his creations alongside Helmut Lang and Jil Sanders of Germany.

The West has always felt that the saree was too cumbersome to wear but with the recent changes in trends, they seem to have gone overboard in trying to possess one. According to some, India is only the flavour of the month. But with talent , knowledge and creativity, Indian fashion can match the best in the world . The popularity of Indian fashion is not transitory, but is here to stay and sway the hearts of the world's fashionable people.

Author :Sharmistha Chatterjee