04 | “High Fashion Beyond Labels” with Uma Chauhan

High Fashion Beyond Labels Sure, high fashion labels are weighty. So much so that stamping these high profile fashion names on cheap fashion products imparts “chic” or “luxury”, albeit fake, to those low quality fashion goods. High fashion purists affirm that the snobbishness of these labels is earned by the craftsmanship invested into the creations; and justly so.  Today, the profile of High Fashion is weaker. Brand advertising has relocated to social media platforms like Instagram making it a freely accessible “tool” to endorse oneself. Content repeatedly appearing in social media feeds builds familiarity with a brand name, marking the label as noteworthy, allowing mediocre fashion to project itself as high fashion.  “It’s got a lot to do with taste,” declares UnDressed’s esteemed guest, Uma Chauhan, one of the very few fashion designers today whose creations justify the legacy of her label. Uma is a high fashion purist and one of India’s earliest fashion creators. She has adopted the genteel hand craft of crochet as her product profile taking it from the confines of a home-bred craft to the highest rungs of fashion. Uma has several solo fashion showings to her credit, and has retailed from her signature boutique and from India’s prestigious high fashion stores. Fun fact: Her entire collection was once bought by a Dior model right after the fashion showing! We dive into her decades of creator expertise and experience to know fashion behind its label. To connect with Uma, you could write to her at [email protected] On UnDressed I peel the superficial layers of Fashion. Check out the trailer for a quick introduction. UnDressed is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I am your host Aparna, please do share your questions or thoughts on this episode in the comments below, or write to me at [email protected] . I am eager to hear from you!  The music for this show is by QubeSounds on Pixabay. Thank you for being here! Stay tuned for more, and … stay fashionably you! x