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Shiva and Ganesh Hit the Runways
The Urban Odyssey collection at Bloomingdale’s features clothing with images of Hindu deities
by Rina Chandran
Last summer Macy’s-at-Herald-Square wore a Bollywood look; this year, Bloomingdale’s is sporting a more divine look. Its “Urban Odyssey” collection for spring includes a range of ready-to-wear garments with images of Hindu deities.
The collection from the Moschino Jeans label comprises t-shirts, jeans, pants, knits and dresses with images of Shiva, Ganesha and a goddess, priced from $150 to $600. Besides Bloomingdale’s, the range is also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks, and some specialty fashion stores, according to a Moschino spokesperson.
“The collection is targeted at the typical Moschino customer, who is trendy, and slightly older, but aspires to look younger,” said Amy Bolden, of Moschino Jeans in New York City. An in-house designer who draws inspiration from grand themes created the line, she added. “Last year it was the Swiss Alps, this year it is Hinduism.”
The collection is doing very well at Bloomingdale’s, confirms Stephanie Solomon, fashion director, women’s ready-to-wear, partly because t-shirts with images and messages that reflect a consumer’s personality are extremely popular. “Consumers are gravitating toward spirituality and eastern religion now, so with these images they feel a closeness (to their choices),” she said.
Bolden also agrees that the collection is doing well because it ties in with other Indian trends, like yoga or even Indian cuisine, that have recently gained popularity. Indeed, pop stars and trendy teenagers alike have embraced some Indian icons – such as the bindi, mehendi, nose-rings, toe-rings and anklets – as fashion accessories.
This is certainly not the first time that Hindu gods – or actors dressed as Hindu gods - have been used to sell fashion; last year, the gay magazine Genre had Alexis Arquette as Krishna on the cover; the year before, Mike Myers appeared as a Hindu god on the cover of Vanity Fair.
In both instances the magazines drew flak from some Hindu groups. This latest avatar of Shiva and Vishnu has not created a controversy so far, according to Solomon and Bolden.