One of the most vibrant aspects of our culture is our fashion - our fine textiles, our rich and colorful fabrics, and the unique cuts of our clothes that separate South Asian couture into a class of its own. It's no secret that even our couture has evolved to meet the modern world - not just in the actual styles, but in the way the fashion is consumed and distributed. Remember when we would have to travel across oceans to go back home, haggle in alleyways, and trust the tailors to ship our precious cargo back to us - all while praying it fits? We're very happy to say, those days are almost completely behind us. In the digital age, many brands are working to make South Asian fashion easier for all of us.
In this episode, Shabnum talks to an Indian American fashion icon, Megha Rao. Megha is the Founder and Designer of HoliCHIC by Megha, a brand that pioneered being a digital-first South Asian fashion brand. Shabnum and Megha talk about how even though Indo-Western fashion has been around for a while, what we're seeing is a budding of styles that feel authentically fusion in a way that wasn't possible before children of the diaspora came of age. Megha also tells us about her biggest challenge yet - being a fashion brand in a pandemic, and how the ideas that came to her helped the brand meet its customers where they are in time, and in the trendiest way possible.
Host: Shabnum Gulati
Guest: Megha Rao
Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed
Music: AnAkkIN on SoundCloud
