“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel The more I see celebrities wearing ostentatious attires on events like Met Gala and the Cannes Film Festival, the more I admire my modest wardrobe and raw face. Whenever we see a celebrity walking the red carpet, we forget that it takes a lot to be the one boldly facing the numerous flashing cameras and a chanting crowd. A lot is right, because these celebrities have layers of coating on their face, much processed hairdo, designer’s dress, shoes and an amazing camera with an amazing lens! Surprisingly, while we spend a huge amount of money to get designer dresses for ourselves, celebrities on the contrary are paid to wear certain designer’s dress. So it is kind of a bargain in which one gets more of recognition and the other gets more of followers. But hey, what do we get? Psychological unrest? Never ending fear of being left out? Look around, and you’ll see people blindly following and buying the prismatic articles of various brands without even knowing what suits them With the trending fashion industry, everything is being commercialised. The Met Gala is no longer an annual fundraising gala and the Cannes Film Festival is no more an annual film festival which premieres new films. Both these events now are more about ‘who wears whom?’ Talking of fashion itself, which for me, is something that fades while style is eternal, is more about dressing according to what’s fashionable while style is more about being yourself. When you try to run keep up with contemporary fashion trends, after getting inspired from celebrities and models, know that you put a lot at stake. With the growing fashion industry and globalisation, access to various brands and designers is no more an onerous task. Look around, and you’ll see people blindly following and buying the prismatic articles of various brands without even knowing what suits them. All they need is to brag about the designer’s dress that they have recently bought just to exhibit the worth of their monetary assets. They are not aware that each brand has its own signature style, theme and motifs which might compliment the taste and style of one person but not the other. Brands like Khaadi, Generation, Sapphire and Kayseria have nothing in common as their technique, team and inspiration are poles apart. For instance, Khaadi focuses on hand woven products, Generation focuses on prints and colors, Sapphire assures quality fabric while Kayseria links traditions with modernity. Most of the people start complaining and targeting the brands right away because they believe that they are over paying for their clothes and accessories; however, they need to understand the certain mindset and ideology of each brand and should pay some attention in exploring their own true fashion style and need. Wearing a dress with which you cannot connect is no good. “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” – Gianni Versace For all the fashion enthusiasts out there, know that when you buy high-end designer products you are not only paying for the fabric or embellishments but for things far more costly than this. Basically, you are paying for marketing, article’s production and the whole setup. Advertising in Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair and Vogue is not cheap. The ones that sell high-end designer brands spend colossal amount of money to convince buyers that their brands are acclaimed. That is what you are paying for. And so the customers of luxury brands pay for the designer’s name. Interestingly, through clever marketing, the fashion industry tempts us to continue buying new clothes to keep up with the latest trends. Advertisement is a product of propaganda. It makes you believe that your needs will be satisfied by using their product. They tempt you. Wear now, buy now! And so the creative heads behind marketing of clothes too need to be appreciated for they are doing their job really well. The fashion industry is designed to make you feel “out of trend” with new trends coming out every week. Moreover, discounts aren’t really discounts. They’re a trap! When we buy our clothes, all that matters is that we should look the prettiest and that we should impress others; we don’t think about questions like where did this come from and what did the world have to suffer to get it? Because all that matters is the US! We are apathetic towards the condition and struggle of brands’ workers, creative heads, designers and the crew behind it. Anyone can carry a fashionable dress, but to be stylish is something what makes us unique. Being comfortable is what matters. So just stop being so obsessive about your dresses and wardrobe. Wear whatever you get wherever you get it and start appreciating what you wear, not whom you wear. And let’s just stop being judgmental about people on the basis of brands and clothes. Why not just let them be the way they want to be. Why can’t we see Anarkali, Ichhra, Delhi Darwaza and even Landa Bazaar as we see other shopping malls and markets; why not just stop mocking or making fun of people who go there. Don’t they seem to be much better than the ones who go and face the hullabaloo of Black Fridays for the zalalat walamufta!? Published in Daily Times, July 16th 2018.