Work behind every Indian garment is unique

Filipino blogger Bryan Grey Yambao began tapping away at the keyboard from the age of 17 to express his views on global fashion and has in seven years earned epithets like ‘phenomenon in the fashion blogosphere’.

Currently here, he is in awe of the amount of hard work being put in to prepare ethnic Indian wear and says “you don’t see this anywhere else”.

Yambao, known through his pen name Bryan Boy, had been invited to attend the just concluded Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive 2011.

“I have seen some great designs here that have really inspired me. For me, what is important in a garment is the selection of material. It is all about the fabric. There are so many options here when it comes to fabrics,” the 24-year-old said in an interview.

“Then you can really see the labour put behind in every garment with sequins, beads, embroidery, etc. This is only in India, you don’t see this anywhere else.

“It’s only in India that you see people wearing these clothes that are well-made and hours and hours have gone behind those clothes to make them what they are. So I’m very inspired by the labour that people put here in making the clothes and the fabrics,” he added.

Bryan Boy was a web developer and then the writing bug bit him. He turned into a blogger to write extensively about fashion from his Manila home. His blog turned out to be a huge success as he gets about 5,000 visitors per day and thanks to this, he bagged the 2007 Philippine Blog Award for Best Fashion & Lifestyle Blog.

The honours were not restricted to his home turf. He got recognition in the international arena when the New York Post named him one of the nine hottest internet celebrities. Not only that, news website called him “one of the Fashion 2.0s biggest superstars” and a “phenomenon in the fashion blogosphere”.

Though he writes at length about the nuances of fashion across the globe, the famous blogger wasn’t aware of Indian fashion till he set foot in Delhi last month and saw the creations of internationally acclaimed Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, known for his ethnic Indian collections of saris, salwar-kameezs and lehengas.

He even liked the work of Rohit Bal, the designer who has carved a niche among fashionistas for his signature style – flower motif gowns. Bal has also designed the wardrobe for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan for his host’s role in “Kaun Banega Crorepati” season five.

The LFW invite provided an ideal opportunity for Bryan Boy to get in-depth knowledge about the fashion industry in India.

“I know very little about Indian fashion, so when I was invited here, I thought I’ll take the opportunity to educate myself about more and more Indian designers. Also, since the time I’ve come here, I’ve really become obsessed with traditional Indian wear.”

At the fashion event, the celebrity blogger was impressed by the young designers’ work, but when asked to name a few, he couldn’t as it was difficult for him to pronounce the names.

Talking about his visit to the capital, he said he was fascinated with Chandni Chowk in the walled city area and even shopped there.

“When I went to Delhi last month, it was my first visit to India, I went to places like Chandni Chowk where I bought fabrics for Rs.80 per metre. Then I went to the tailor to make 20 pants for me. So it’s great to be here and it’s so fascinating. There is so much option when you go around and see,” Bryan Boy said.

When asked what fashion means to him, the blogger said: “For me, fashion is a very important tool. It’s a way to improve your life. The right dress actually has the power to get you the right job and the right dress can also get you a man you love.”

“Fashion is a tool that everyone can use. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what skin colour you have and what society you are from. Today, there are so many options for everyone. Now more than ever, people are interested in fashion,” he added.