ANU DHAWAN debunks age-shaming with a clothes line
Ageing is associated with a large number of hard-earned experiences. It is to a certain extent tagged along with inferiority complex, lethargy and unhappiness. People either consider age a weakness and fragility or insubstantial and outdated. Nevertheless retro looks are still in fashion and “you look like your mother/grandmother” is one the most favourite compliments going around, especially for daughters. One is never too old to set another goal and these days plenty of myths about ageing are being demolished. As designer Anuradha P Dhawan says, “It’s easy to follow fashion blindly. But to create it and set a benchmark is a feat not every artist can master.”
The idea here is to highlight age-shaming and convey to older women as well as men that they do not have to worry about grey hair, wrinkles, turkey necks and sagging body parts. “Instead of worrying about looking bad, let’s recalibrate our sense of what looks good. Wake up world! Realise the beauty of time on your face, hair and body. let’s make peace with it in our own lives,” says the 50-year old designer who also takes up modelling projects to promote social causes like age-shaming and body-shaming .
There is always an urge to stay fit and slim to hide away signs of ageing. Talking about maintaining oneself, Dhawan says, “To stay grey or not must be a decision not founded on fear of being irrelevant in society, for sure. Just because the hormones don’t help, there’s no reason why the brain can’t remain sexy and fertile and why the body can’t find pleasure or why the spirit will not dance.”
To spread the message across all classes of the society, the designer has merged with women groups and is holding interactive programmes promoting the idea of loving oneself. She considers youth as a fresh take on the regular and aims to create a sustainable brand by addressing versatile men and women with functional lifestyle needs.
Through versatile and adaptable fashion, the designer has an unconventional approach that creates different looks. Some of the specific features of the collection are multiple looks with the same garment suitable for any occasion and unique at the same time. The intricate embroidery and design elements compensate for the lack of any kind of jewellery, hence giving it a perfect look. Most importantly, all the garments can be mixed and matched as Indian and western wear.
There is a huge gap between the senior and junior family members in Indian society and it is very important to bridge this gap. As Dhawan says, “It is very important for the young and the old group to talk frankly about health and social issues. It is also very important to have proper conversations within the two groups, especially for women. Breaking the bridge is essential for a healthy society.”
“Turning 50 made me think of getting involved with this project. Also I am tired of hearing from many people irrespective of age how I maintain myself,” shares the designer. For now, she is more interested in breaking mindsets.