Early Style Influences : F.R.I.E.N.D.S

In the 90s, Western clothing started to appear on the Indian horizon in the form of MTV, cable television, relatives visiting from America, the cities modernizing, the dotcom boom that saw more collaborations with the outside world, english books, movies, …. The discussion on the evil influence of the West tainting our pristine culture and traditions was a hot topic in our little town. The men started wearing the trousers and shirting since the 1950’s. All this fuss of Western Influence was for the women doing the same. The elderly men would complain about the women “ignoring our customs and traditions”. The elderly women would rant about “wearing jeans and staying out late in the night is not freedom. Let me explain what freedom is to you ….”. Feminism, religious reform, modernization, education,  … all contributed to a change in the mindset. It was an interesting time for me as a young woman – because I had choice. My mother dressed the same way as her mother …. who dressed the same way as her mother …. who dressed like her mother ….. But I, could choose. Of all the media I had access to, Rachel Green impressed me the most. I would wait for a new episode every-week and check out her clothes. As I put together these photos of her, it dawned upon me – her color palette, her idea of fit, silhouettes she wears, color combinations she approves, …. all coincide with mine. I now wear a much smaller subset of it all – but it derives from her. Costume designer Debra McGuire has my appreciation for showing me what a cohesive personal style can look like :

Hello Rachel Green. Thank you for being my first style influencer.

The set design was definitely maximalist. The walls were purple. The open shelving in the kitchen was stuffed with plastic wrapped bags, boxes and pans of every kind. Every piece of furniture had too much personality. Every inch of every frame is full of stuff !! With all that is going on, her minimal aesthetic was soothing to my eyes.

( … to be continued )