Plight of Indigenous Designers in Fashion Industry

Fashion has a long history, it did not evolve all of a sudden, with constant trials and errors, the fashion has changed all the way around. Fashion is a channel for inventive expression and a replication of individual and cultural identity. Indigenous Fashion by the name means clothing, fashion, accessories belonging to a particular country, region, or native to a specific culture. The term originated in the North America, where culture and history had a major role in clothing. The indigenous designers incorporate their motifs, customary materials into their wearable artworks, providing a basis for creating items for the haute couture and international fashion markets that have been adapted as latest fashion brands these days. Women in these communities were primarily the designers as well as makers. Fashion designers have been borrowing stylistic elements from other cultures for centuries. Inspiration and imitation goes hand in hand when it comes to fashion industry. The indigenous community face theft of their designs and work because they are pleasing, beautiful and are less famous, so the chances of the big designers of being caught becomes low. In recent years, the extent to which fashion designers have profited from incorporating these cultural designs without giving due acknowledgement to their origin has been amplifying point of contention. Thus, this paper attempts to bring out the reality of Indigenous Fashion in India, U.S.A.