At former US president Barack Obama's final State of the Union address in January 2016, media and fashion enthusiasts waited eagerly to see what Michelle Obama was wearing. The state dinner dress is seen as a symbol, and she didn't disappoint. The former first lady came dressed in a spectacular marigold-coloured sleeveless midi dress.
Michelle Obama is known for her fashion sense, and also for making a political statement through her clothes. And the wool crepe marigold dress did just that. At a time when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was spewing venom at immigrants, her dress was designed by Narciso Rodriguez, a prominent American fashion designer. He is the son of immigrants who fled Cuba in search of a better life in the US. The American media hailed the dress as a subtle reminder of the liberal values promoted by the Democrats and the Obamas.
In the international space, be it with leaders from the US, Europe or even the British monarchy, fashion diplomacy matters a great deal—sending across sartorial messages and forging ties. Media and fashion experts dissect the attire of diplomats and decode the message the attire intends to make. For instance, the US first lady, Melania Trump, wore a knee-length red dress and President Donald Trump sported a red tie during their meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife in April. The US media decoded that they wore red, the symbolic colour of the Chinese, as a 'nod to Chinese culture'.
However, Indian netas, with their not-so-impressive dressing style, never quite made much of a fashion statement. Not until Modi stepped in. The Indian prime minister, in his colour-coordinated crisp kurtas and suits, has been making heads turn.
Be it while campaigning, or addressing the nation, or on a diplomatic tour, Modi pays close attention to the culture of the people and dresses accordingly. Be it the infamous pinstripe suit, bandhgala jackets, or scarves, Modi seems to be the new face of India's fashion diplomacy. Here's a look at how Modi has been using the style quotient in his favour:
1. Kurtas and waistcoats: Modi's cream, white and pastel coloured kurtas have become a fashion statement. He is also believed to have a liking for linen, and Matka silk fabric. His vibrant sleeveless jackets, which he pairs with the kurtas have also become a major hit, so much so that all BRICS leaders dressed up in crisp Modi-type jackets at the BRICS summit dinner in Goa in October last year. Modi effect?
2. Shawls: Modi has a vast collection of shawls, and he knows how to mix and match them with kurtas as and when the occasion demands. For instance, when he visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, he put forward his saffron foot, literally. Dressed in a saffron kurta, with a red and orange patterned shawl draped across his shoulder and forearm, Modi looked picture perfect. Not to forget the rudraksh mala which completed the look. In February this year, another shawl worn by Modi was trending on social media. As Modi unveiled the 112-foot tall Adiyogi Shiva statue at Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, he was pictured wearing a peacock-green shawl with the image of Shiva. Shilpi Tiwari, who fell in love with the shawl, tweeted saying she wants the ‘stole’. She was surprised to receive a package containing the shawl less than a day later, that too, with the prime minister's signature.
3. Pocket square: Well, nobody really notices this little piece of cloth sticking out from suit pockets. But in the world of diplomacy, every detail matters, and Modi seems to know it well. In what is deemed to be a ground-breaking diplomatic step, Modi, on Tuesday, became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. As he stepped down from Air India One to meet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi was dressed in a white bandhgala suit with a deep blue pocket silk—signifying colours of the Israeli flag. This is not a first. Even as the world went bonkers over his pinstripe suit with his name embroidered on it during Obama's visit to India in January 2015, not many noticed his pocket silk square—red, white and blue scarf with stripes, signifying the US flag. In June 2016, Modi received a standing ovation when he addressed the US Congress. But probably, the star of the session would have been his pocket square in colours of the Indian flag.
4. Headgear: The prime minister's headgear or 'pagdi' has now become a signature fashion statement. Modi's flaunts flamboyant headgear and various regional costumes as he travels to various parts of the country, and we must say, he carries them off well. Who can forget his Independence Day speech in 2014; the first one after he became prime minister. He wore a Bandhini safa, in colours strategically chosen—deep orange and green, paired with a white kurta-pyjama; the complete look signifying the Indian flag. From then on, Modi has donned many hats, be it the traditional horned Naga warrior headgear or a Japi, the traditional hat of Assam.
And on Tuesday, as he paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem, he chose to wear the Pahari topi, or Himachal cap. Usually, leaders are expected to wear Kippah, the traditional Jewish cap, inside the Yad Vashem.
