Thursday, March 19, 2009

Hollywood Goes Bollywood: India's Fashion Influence on the West

Maybe it was Shakira. The international starlet shook, shimmied and rolled Indian fashion into the American mainstream during the 2006 VMAs. Before that, there was Madonna, who in the late '90s wore henna on her hands and saris to high-profile events. And if you want to take it waaaaay back, Princess Diana in 1992 made Indian fashion in the West all the rage after her trip to India and Pakistan.

Whoever deserves credit, Indian fashion is here and non-Indian celebrities all over are partaking in this colorful, bespoke couture. From bindis and tikkas on their foreheads to saris on their backs, mehendi on their bodies or antique Indian jewels in their ears, it looks as if Westerners have gotten sari-savvy in a big way. Rapper Snoop Dogg last year appeared in the Bollywood flick 'Singh is King' in a turban, and, this year, Bollywood is anticipating a lot more Hollywood presence, with Beyonce and Rihanna doing 'item numbers' in Bollywood movies – in Indian dress, we're sure

Bollywood On Ramp