Why 70s New York And Bombay Fashion Did Not Look Alike But Do So Now

MUMBAI – Actress Kritika Kamra has underscored the sharp cultural distinctions that once defined global fashion, pointing to how cities like New York and Bombay expressed markedly different styles in the 1970s.

Drawing from her research for her new film ‘Matka King,’ Kritika said fashion of earlier decades reflected strong regional identities, unlike today’s increasingly uniform trends shaped by social media.

“And that’s why the fashion of New York feels different from the fashion of South Bombay in the 70s,” she said.

The actress noted that while global influences existed, they were adapted differently across cultures, resulting in distinct local aesthetics.

“But when you look at the pictures or any films of the 60s, 70s, there were, of course, these overarching trends that everybody was kind of following. But each person had their own interpretation. And when you see pictures of the West versus India, there’s also a lot of cultural difference,” she said.

Kritika explained that Indian fashion retained unique styling elements even while borrowing from Western trends. Garments such as sarees and salwar kameez were worn in ways that reflected local traditions, setting them apart from Western silhouettes.

“Some things that we borrowed from there, some things that we had our own. The way we wore those tight salwar kameezes or sarees in a particular way, that was really unique to our culture on this side of the world,” she added.

Contrasting this with the present, Kritika said the global circulation of trends through digital platforms has reduced such distinctions.

“Everybody’s kind of seeing the same references, the same trends all over the world. So, it doesn’t feel as personal. It feels a bit more homogenized,” she said. (IANS)