There are a few certainties in life—death, taxes, Dharma’s next debut with a famous last name, and the unshakable belief among luxury fashion houses that the Gateway of India is the only monument this country has to offer. Gucci gave it a twirl, Dior struck a pose, and now Vivienne Westwood has had her moment in Mumbai. At this point, the Gateway of India has become the couture equivalent of that one overused Bali swing every influencer has spammed your feed with.
When global fashion does ‘Incredible India’, it somehow always defaults to yoga retreats and ‘East India Company Chic’— the visual grammar of coloniser cosplay (with sandalwood incense, of course). Like butter chicken on an airline menu, it’s watered down, painfully bland, and frankly, we wouldn’t stomach another bite.
The formula is predictable—a global luxury house parachutes in, picks a location that’s desi, but with training wheels. Extra points if British royalty once passed by it in a carriage. It’s ethnic enough for a Vogue spread, but never Ajanta-level historic (let’s not burden the mood board with actual heritage).
They stage a grand spectacle in front of a colonial relic, convinced they’ve unlocked the deep cultural soul of India—how sentimental! Nothing like a British label returning to familiar surroundings. Full circle, indeed. Never mind that the actual soul of Indian fashion is probably stuck in traffic somewhere between Chandni Chowk and Colaba, haggling over gota work.
The fashion industry, much like that one cousin who studied abroad and now calls chai ‘chai tea,’ has a template-driven idea of India. The one that looks exotic but digestible, ornate but not overwhelming, and preferably with a Maharaja reference thrown in. The Gateway of India ticks all those boxes—scenic, symmetrical, and just colonial enough to feel ‘authentic’ to international eyes. Global designers love to romanticise India’s ‘incomparable diversity’. It’s their favourite soundbite on press tours and podcasts. Shame, the visuals forget to RSVP. Because right now, these so-called ‘love letters to India’ aren’t tributes. They’re just the same old backdrop, recycled and rebranded, framed for a better Instagram moment.
It’s giving creative block but with extra tassels. India has been serving opulence before Europe figured out cutlery, but if you asked the world’s top designers, you’d think our entire luxury history is sponsored by Oberoi Udaivilas—a venue so overexposed, it probably deserves its own Aadhaar card. Why dig into centuries of craftsmanship when you can just slap a runway where every second NRI couple has lip-synced to Raabta for their wedding reel?
Also read: LFW’s 25th anniversary was all about theatrical couture. Not a word said about Sabyasachi
The tide is turning
For Indian designers, fashion has finally checked out of the palatial monotony and booked a ticket to someplace real. The era of chandelier couture might just be dimming—gone are the days when every runway felt like a rerun of Jodha Akbar. And the new mood? Think less Mughal E Azam dress up, and more couture-meets-cultural-consciousness. Now, some of our most exciting names are setting the stage where it actually matters.
Manish Malhotra let the venue do the twinkling, casting Banaras’ burning ghats in a spell of silks and smoke. Shivan & Narresh took Gulmarg’s snow-draped slopes and glacial grandeur was the real showstopper. No pashmina is needed. Even Falguni Shane Peacock brought the drama to the Taj Mahal.
There was a whiff of Mumtaz’s ghost, a flash of paparazzi, and just enough marble melancholy to keep things chic. Looks like India’s fashion finally read the room, or better yet, the monument. And somewhere, Maharani Gayatri Devi probably raised an eyebrow…. and, approved.
Because let’s face it—India is not a one-monument wonder. The Gateway has had its moment, it’s time to hand the location scout a new map.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
Oh, I love the Gateway of India. Earliest memories of childhood in Colaba, living in Ionic building, a quiet leafy lane that ends in Dilip Sardesai Chowk. Seeing the limitless ocean from the Gateway, became a globalist for life, seeing the rest of the world as a huge opportunity, never a threat. Not an Aatma Nirbhar bone in my life. Always preferred Kraft to Amul cheese, which made its debut at that time.
That line about the Oberoi Udaivilas having its own Aadhaar card? Gold. Absolute gold.