adaa

i had to google

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“brown girl in purple tights”.

The topic of representation is a long one. There are two types of representation; the first is representation for the sake of it, which, one can safely say, is the most common kind of representation we see today in contemporary media and pop culture. The second is multidimensional, progressive and authentic representation; which is what we should strive to achieve. Representation matters. It matters that different cultures, bodies of different shapes and sizes, with unique skin and hair textures, are gaining visibility and getting platformed to expand and destabilise what ‘beautiful’ has come to mean today. It matters which bodies and people get represented as beautiful and fashionable, because what we see impacts what we can imagine, and it hurts not being imaginable.

Slowly but surely, the faces fronting beauty and fashion campaigns appear to be moving away from the skinny, cisgendered white woman prototype to encompass more “diverse” choices. Black and brown models aren’t a rarity anymore. But I can’t help but notice, why aren’t we seeing more South Asian women as we scroll through Instagram, scour catwalks or flick through the pages of magazines? Every now and then a brand will collaborate with influencers who are technically South Asian, but fall within the boundaries of euro-centric beauty standards.

Hyper feminine aesthetics such as coquette, cottagecore and heroine chic, though marketed to all, are mainly seen on pale and skinny white women, which makes it harder to achieve for BIPOC as we’ve never seen it modified to fit us.

अदा: a reclamation of beauty.

अदा (pronounced a-daa)

Grace, beauty; elegance; graceful manner of carriage; charm, fascination; amorous signs and gestures, blandishment; coquetry:—adā-fahm, adj.

a modern reclamation of beauty.

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Trends such as ribbons and coloured tights are admired from afar, as all the advertised models are tall, lean and unmistakably western. Even the spaces which are supposed to represent South Asian women, like Bollywood, only showcase a tiny percentage of what South Asian women actually look like.

It’s important to recognise that South Asians have a need for representation, but not representation as a part of a western narrative, to add profit to an industry. Our stories and beauty, shown and directed through an authentic lens, not swayed by stereotypes. People must see more of South Asia through the eyes of someone with lived experience within the culture.

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“Our stories and beauty, shown and directed through an authentic lens, not swayed by stereotypes.”

This part of the continent has had so many ships crashing into it for the sake of colonialism, that its population today boasts a varied and striking array of physical characteristics —from coarse waves to sleek tresses and high, chiselled cheek bones to rounder features.

so why is this broad spectrum of beauty so untapped by the fashion world?

There is so little representation for us in the diaspora besides Bollywood and even that is really centred more around Western beauty ideals. I think there’s an innate desire to see ourselves outside of a colonial gaze and what better way to build community around that than to provide education and access and resources? South Asian designers, such as Natasha Sumant and Abarna Kugathasan are at the forefront of this movement. Their modern takes on traditional salwars, saris and kurtas is stunning and befitting for any occasion. The focal point for many of these designers is Desi fabric and design. However, the cuts and embroidery on each garment make them applicable for South Asians and other fashion lovers. Additionally, queer creatives like Amesh Wijesekara and Rahemur Rahman are also changing the landscape for Desi communities. Focusing on inclusive fashion for all identities, their amazing pieces are reimagining how South Asians are perceived. Therefore, it’s not just fashion which these South Asians are renovating, it’s the landscape as a whole.