The lungi as a logo of cultural identification

The lungi has been reinterpreted a number of occasions over — it has made it to runways, been upcycled into attire and has even impressed Spanish label Zara to launch a lungi-style skirt in 2018. However the love for the garment continues to be flourishing, with millennials styling it in distinctive methods and embracing it as their cultural identification. 

From attaching printed borders to showcasing artwork works and together with purposeful components equivalent to pockets and waistbands, this street-style is all set to take off. Whereas the standard Madras checks is common, plain colored lungis are additionally in. “Why ought to saris have all of the enjoyable?” asks Vibin KM, who launched a line of designer lungies with vibrant, printed borders three months in the past. His label, Soochiem Noolum, based mostly in Vadakara, Kozhikode, is a tackle the Malayali’s nostalgic reference to the lungi. “Most of us millennials who’ve grown up in small city Kerala have worn the lungi. However someplace down the road, this connection was misplaced and the label is an try to revive the bond,” says Vibin, who retails on Instagram. 

An engineer who stop his job in an automation firm in Bengaluru, Vibin runs the enterprise along with his spouse Chippy Raju, a knowledge scientist. “We aren’t designers, however we love the lungi. I put on it even whereas travelling,” he says. He sources the cotton cloth from Erode in Tamil Nadu and the material for the borders from small textile shops in Vadakara. The borders are then stitched at native tailoring retailers in and across the city, principally run by girls. “As of now, the lungis are available in six shades — black, bottle inexperienced, maroon, saffron, Navy blue and off-white. Vibin is bouyed by the response he has been receiving on his web page and plans to introduce borders with motifs of Theyyam and Thrissur pooram. 

It’s all about styling, says Rasmi Poduval, of Thrissur-based label Seamstress, which boasts a set of khadi hand-spun, hand-woven lungies in a vibrant palette. One in all her prospects, a skateboarder of Kerala origin based mostly within the US wore a lungi whereas skateboarding, folding it upwards to the knees within the native type. “Persons are carrying it as co-ords, with printed shirts, accessorising it with jewelry and giving it a complete hipster vibe,” provides Rasmi. “It has resonated very well with the millennials particularly, who’re attaching a way of satisfaction to carrying locally-sourced clothes that take them closest to their roots. The lungi can also be extraordinarily suited to our climate, and has a superb fall and drape.”

Image of resistance

Chennai-based designer and style blogger Purushu Arie makes use of the lungi as a logo of resistance in opposition to stereotyping in common tradition. The white mundu/veshti is respectable whereas the lungi is just not. “Although it emerged as a method assertion after Rajnikant wore black lungis in Kaala and Dhanush wore printed and checked lungis in Kaman, the lungi as a logo of revolt in opposition to the systemic oppression of caste largely stays on the silver display,” Purushu says. Whereas working for an American style chain earlier than launching his personal label, Purushu needed to go to Tirupur the place he was staying at a premium resort. “I got here throughout a board which stated, ‘No lungis allowed’ and that was the place to begin,” he says. 

His label, Put on Your Freedom, celebrates the garment with a deal with performance. “Although most of us millennials grew up seeing the garment, few of us discover it purposeful. So I’ve added pockets and waistbands to the lungis,” he provides. 

A champion of gender fluid clothes, Purushu says the lungi is a nice instance of gender impartial clothes as it may be worn by each women and men. A showcase he did at NIFT Chennai included lungi shorts, draped and tailor-made lungis as effectively.

Carrying the lungi is an expression of appreciation for our cultural heritage, says Chennai-based designer Vikram Balaji, whose label Viinkwear, which he launched in 2021, has a set of lungis sporting artwork works. Vikram makes use of artwork by Indian artists on his attire. He has completed the artwork work for the vary of lungis. Whereas the Gatekeeper is a black end-to-end tailor-made lungi with vibrant pink designs, the Luna Serpent is a white lungi with orange polka dots. “The response to those lungis have been nice, it’s nearly bought out,” says Vikram, who believes the lungi is without doubt one of the most versatile clothes.  

For Varsha Devjani, who co-founded The Sufi Studio with Lajwanti Kulkarni, it’s the fluidity of the lungi that evokes. The lungi suits Varsha’s design ethos as it’s “unstructured”. “It evokes folks to do extra with their clothes. It may be paired with tank tops, crop tops and kurtas, it lends itself to the creativeness.” The Goa-based model’s philosophy is predicated on not conforming to labels equivalent to western or Indian. All the clothes are free dimension and gender impartial. The lungi vary comes with canvas straps and brass equipment to make it extra wearable. “The one problem of carrying a sari or a lungi is that there’s an excessive amount of to drape. However when it’s made extra purposeful with the required equipment, there may be nothing fairly fabulous just like the lungi.”