Bollywood Fashion

There is also the constant fear of criticism, which has restricted filmmakers from attempting to set fashion trends.

According to veteran designer Ritu Kumar, people were earlier not so exposed to fashion. So every new and unique garment seen on the big screen set a trend. This is no longer the case.

"Initially, costumes, which were off everyday wear for the normal population, did cause a stir and led to fashion influences as the market was starved of such designer wear. But this has largely changed," Kumar, who is yet to design for a Bollywood film, said.

Kumar, who has designed the costumes for Deepa Mehta's "Midnight's Children", hopes the scenario improves.

"The industry still seems to design for individuals. When more holistic designing for a complete film is taken up, the fashion scene in India will mature further."

In the past, Bollywood has given memorable styles to masses. Remember the 1960 period drama "Mughal-e-Azam" when Madhubala as Anarkali sported long flowing kurtas and churidars. Almost five decades later, the eponymous Anarkali kameez is the current rage with everybody, from homemakers to hip Bollywood actresses, wearing it.

In 1994, Madhuri Dixit left a mark with her green embroidered choli paired with a white lehnga and a purple embroidered sari in "Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!". Women lapped up the styles at family weddings. There are so many similar instances. There were Rani Mukerji's "Bunty Aur Babli" suits and then the sari, of course, redefined over and over again with movies like "Chandni", "Main Hoon Naa" and "Dostana".

But new trends are now few and far between.

"The main reason for this is that a lot of stylists of celebrities or films are playing safe with ongoing trends in fashion. They are primarily using outfits which are in fashion, avoiding the risk of fashion faux pas. Thus they are unable to create a new trend," designer Pria Kataaria Puri said.

"Earlier, film costumes were not designed according to what everyone was wearing or according to international trends but were rather filmy or outlandish, rule breaking; and if they worked well, it became a new trend. To create a style, one has to create costumes that are unusual," she added.

Costume designer Payal Saluja, who has worked on Vishal Bhardwaj's "Maqbool", "Ishqiya", "Saat Khoon Maaf" and now "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", says the move towards realistic filmmaking in Bollywood has changed the scene.

"Stories are becoming real and connectable for the audience these days. So, the clothes also need to be in tandem. Clothes should never be stronger than the character because then the viewer will only remember the clothes. So it is first important to think of blending costumes into the narrative rather than create fashion trends," Saluja said.

Miss World

A few months ago I would have been far more likely to be standing outside the Miss World venue protesting at the event than attending it. I first entered a Miss England regional pageant in April in order to research a project for a module on the history of gender at the University of Warwick. Like the women standing outside Earls Court yesterday, I believed that pageants were degrading and humiliating to the young women involved and I was adamant that my experience would prove me correct.

Yet I attended the Miss World ceremony last night as both a title-holder and a strong advocate of the industry. So what was it that changed my views so drastically?

It was predominantly through meeting other Miss England contestants across the country. Far from being superficial or unintelligent, as I imagined they would be, I discovered a network of people that are motivated by the desire to contribute to their community and be a part of something positive. Young men and women come together to seek recognition for their accomplishments, represent views or causes that are important to them and participate in friendly competition to win the honour of representing their town, city or country.

I am often asked how my identity as a beauty queen and my identity as afeminist coincide. I believe wholeheartedly that pageants and women's rights can go hand in hand. I consider myself a feminist as I believe a woman should be equal to a man in the ability to make the life choices that fulfil her, whether this leads her to remaining at home with her children, sitting in the boardroom of a multinational company or by taking part in pageants and using her personal attributes to benefit herself and those around her. Once the feminist movement begins denying personal choice to women by demanding they reject all conventional gender ideals, feminism becomes just as restrictive to women as sexism.

There are, of course, superficial elements to a pageant but generally the purpose of Mr and Miss England and Miss World is to celebrate the diversity of appearances within the world, not to push a stringent ideal of beauty. Pageant culture as a whole seeks to help women embrace their unique beauty and be proud of their individuality.

Rebecca Mordan, who helped organise the protest outside Earls Court last night, is wrong when she says that women are reduced to the "sum of their parts". While physical attractiveness is an aspect of pageants, the mind and the body are not viewed separately. A contestant must demonstrate a wide range of abilities and qualities beyond their appearance. Pageants award far more than beauty. There is an award, for example, for those who demonstrate an outstanding dedication to charity or show themselves to be particularly accomplished in the arts, sport or academia. The weight placed on the importance of intelligence within pageants is illustrated neatly by the number of women in Miss England and Miss World who have obtained, or are in the process of obtaining, degrees. I did not win the Miss Durham title because I was the most beautiful girl in the room – I wasn't – but I demonstrated that I was worthy of representing my city through being eloquent, confident and dedicated to being a positive role model to younger members of my community.

Not enough is done in this country to celebrate young people and to recognise their achievements. To have the opportunity to stand on a stage and say: "This is me, this is who I am and what I look like. I am proud of myself" is empowering beyond imagination. Across the world, people choose to enter pageants because of the personal benefits they gain through the experience. Every contestant gains confidence, friendship and a broadened mind. Having the opportunity to be involved in a pageant is the real prize, winning is just a bonus.

Miss India 2013 face of Indian

Fashion is a dynamic industry. The face of Indian fashion industry is changing dramatically, and there is a sudden exposure of fashion in the country. India is now competing among other leading countries placing itself on the map creating its own identity of fusion. Fashion trends that appear under the spotlight are always sought after. Recent Miss India pageant set wit and whimsy tones for varied looks. Designers expressed their freedom with creativity, the inspiration found in exoticism and history. Blasts of neon hues, lazer cuts, sugary pastels, and juicy brights made patterns mixed into a fiesta.

The contestants showed off trends in an alluring way. Skinny printed pants, and colorful jackets filled the runway. Golden shimmer radiated throughout the show, from theme to the apparels in the clothing of contestants. Mixing colors is an easy way to look trendy. Lavender with white and red combination, checked pants, plaid prints and color blocked apparels are easy and stylish trends to be followed.

Brand Max has launched a new clothing line inspired by the Miss India pageant. This high fashion for Indian women is inspired by the golden jubilee celebration of Miss India this year. Glamorous preppy dresses, pants, tops, and other latest trends ruling international fashion were seen on the ramp. Shimmering white and gold dresses adorned the ramp, setting new trends for the hues.