New Delhi: An Indian fashion brand’s latest collection inspired by Kashmir didn’t go down too well, drawing criticism for being “insensitive” and “exotifying” the region that has been under a security lockdown since 5 August when Article 370 that granted special status to the state was scrapped.
Raw Mango, a high-end brand that specialises in Indian textiles, Wednesday posted several photographs and stories to Instagram on its collection ‘Zooni’ featuring a woman dressed in a pheran (a traditional warm kurta). Explaining its inspiration, the brand said, “Kashmir’s tree of life remains resplendent… an abundance of history, beauty and warmth…”
The posts were taken down as it began drawing criticism, but not before screenshots of it were circulated.
“Kashmir under lockdown for 60 days and Indian fashion brand Raw Mango has gone ahead and released a collection featuring Kashmiri textile traditions and aesthetics. Their price range is in the high 5 figures. Am I missing something here?” a user posted on Twitter, while another on Instagram slammed Raw Mango for propagating “neo orientalism”, and yet another disapproved of their “profiting out of miseries of Kashmiri people”.
As part of its campaign, the textile brand had posted a video designed around a Kashmiri wedding, as well as photographs of Dal Lake and other locations in the Valley. Part of it was shot by photojournalist Avani Rai, known for documenting Kashmir. Her father, renowned photographer Raghu Rai, was also a part of the campaign, though his work was not released.
Raw Mango Thursday clarified that the photographs and the campaign was conceptualised well before 5 August, when the Modi government scrapped Article 370 and put in effect a security lockdown. In fact, the release had been scheduled for 8 August, the statement added.
“In November 2017, our design team began research and textile development for ‘Zooni’, a collection drawing from Kashmir… The shoot was executed over 5 days from June 27 – July 2, 2019,” the company posted on Instagram, adding it had recalled the release “amidst public sentiment on timing, and assumptions on intent”.
“My father and I said we can’t be a part of this. We were contract bound but we asked if they can push the release date since we had no control over it,” said Avani, whose work on Kashmir was what prompted Sanjay Garg, owner of the 11-year-old label, to reach out to her.
“The Instagram story coming down yesterday was a result of me telling Sanjay that I’m not comfortable with this. I asked for my name to be removed,” she added.
Apart from Raw Mango, Avani was also attacked for the campaign and its timing, considering much of her career as a photographer has been spent in the Valley.
“One fashion campaign does not define what I do. I’m focusing on documenting the turmoil in Kashmir. This is very trivial in comparison. I want the people to know what is happening there through my photography and not such a campaign,” she said, but also added Raw Mango’s intentions “were to share their work inspired by the beauty and grace of Kashmir as an expression of an artist”.
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