Evolution of Street Style Culture in India

India has a long, captivating background in street style culture that has spanned several decades. The development of street fashion in India dates back to the 1980s when there were significant changes socially, culturally and economically in the country.

Early 1980s saw a new breed of young Indians who wanted to express themselves and escape the traditional Indian norms. They were largely influenced by western music, movies, and dressing style thus adopting a casual and street-inspired dress code. The first wave of Indian street fashion was greatly inspired by western hip-hop and punk movements hence exhibiting bold colors, oversized shapes and graphic prints.

Street fashion in India started taking on a uniquely Indian character as we moved toward the end of 80s. Designers began using traditional fabrics like silks or brocades as well as designs like art which are unique to their country thereby blending Western Streetwear with an Indian context. This mixture is called Indo-Western Street Style, and it remains at present one of the most popular fashions in India today.

Indian street fashion saw the birth of a new subculture in the 1990s. Hip-hop culture, which included baggy pants, big T-shirts and sneakers that were associated with b-boys and b-girls, was responsible for this look in Indian youth. This type of street fashion was mostly popular with young people living in cities townships thereby entrenching hip hop culture within India’s street fashion.
Indian street fashion began to change hands again during the early 2000s. Indian streetwear brands reaching out to a greater market than ever before through the internet and social media resulted in a more globalized identity for street style. At present, Indian street fashion has been heavily influenced by various cultures such as Japanese street wear, American urban wear and high European couture among others.

To sum up, Street wear became an Indian phenomenon from the 1980s when younger Indians were identified with a less formal dressing style influenced by streets. Over time, it has acquired its own Indian character utilizing traditional fabrics, patterns and motifs. Nowadays, it is known that Indian Street Style, which is vibrant and dynamic and keeps changing all the time.