Rodricks documents Goa’s fashion history

Goa-based designer Wendell Rodricks has documented the

fashion history of the state through a pictorial documentation in ‘Moda Goa’. It’s his tribute to the state. The book published by HarperCollins India, points out that Goa was the cradle of Indo-western couture. The Portuguese, the first colonisers in 1510 brought western outfits to the state and when the Mughals came to Goa after the Portuguese, Goan fashion shows an influence of both western as well as Moghul culture. Wendell says, even Persian embroidery and Buddhist drapes are found in the state’s clothing style.

History says the Goa Inquisition set up in 1560 by the Portuguese, forced Hindus and people belonging to other religions to adapt Christianity. And they also banned Hindu and Islamic religious rites. They imposed a modest way of dressing on the people, which continued well into the early part of the 20th century.

His narration begins with the early Buddhist drapes to Hindu costumes and later moves on to the Tughlaq era followed by and influence of Portuguese, who had to improvise on their heavy Renaissance attires to suit the hot climate of the state. The need to document Goa’s fashion history came into the picture when he realised that there was no authentic source on the history of clothes in Goa except some clothes in the Portuguese museum.