Bandana Tewari

Summary

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in communications and filmmaking, Bandana Tewari is a fashion influencer, sustainable fashion activist and former fashion features director of Vogue India. Her ringside view of the fashion industry has made her one of the foremost authorities on global fashion and sustainability today.

Biography

Growing up in the foothills of the Himalayas, Bandana Tewari earned a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in communications and filmmaking in New Delhi. Following graduation, one of her earliest jobs was with Discovery Channel but she shifted tracks to fashion journalism and began contributing to Elle India and several International publications. When Vogue set up shop in India, she joined them as fashion features director and there was no looking back. After fifteen- odd years of being an integral part of the fashion industry, observing and critiquing International fashion, Bandana Tewari resigned from Vogue and moved India to Bali where she serves as a special advisor to the Global Fashion agenda, member of BOF 500 and a contributor to  The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune and Vogue. 

Bandana Tewari

Her astute observations on consumer behaviour was one of the key reasons that led to her personal and ideological interest in sustainability and mindful consumption. After arriving in Bali, she was invited by Suzy Menkes to be one of the keynote speakers at the Conde Nast Luxury Conference in Oman, themed mindful luxury. The topic of her speech was about the connect between Gandhian philosophy and fashion, and how it forged her path as a sustainability activist. ”We put handmade, craft-centric design on top of the pyramid of creativity. But the cult of the handmade brings village economies centre stage. Swadeshi is the Gandhian way of ensuring that these artisanal villages create and thrive within their own village eco-system… Big brands across the world can give dignity of labour to the craftspeople of the world. You can bring that humanity to what can become a beautiful, fulfilling communion between creator, producer and user. That would be a Gandhian approach to the luxury business,” she wrote in Voice Of Fashion.

Tewari strongly feels that if fashion influencers consciously underlined their work with a little more purpose, the potential for change is immense. “I think writers should rise to the occasion and use the various digital platforms to pen even more engaging stories. Personally, I feel that I am able to express more freely, write without the constraints of didactic rules that were ingrained in me for so long. I use the digital platform to be firmer in my opinions, and definitely more irreverent in style”, she told Grazia.

Vision

To offer insight into Indian culture with an emphasis on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and advocating for sustainability and mindful consumption.

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, she was named ‘fashion journalist of the year’ at the Fashion Awards in Mumbai.

References

https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/exploring-a-khadi-state-of-mind-this-75th-independence-year-of-india/amp
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/style/26iht-luxury08-tewari.18179881.html
https://www.banyantree.com/article/episode-3-bandana-tewari
https://www.digseedgrow.com/thealtnormal/003-thealt-normal-with-bandana-tewari
https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/exploring-a-khadi-state-of-mind-this-75th-independence-year-of-india
https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviapinnock/2022/09/08/new-documentary-urges-sustainable-fashion-movement-not-to-leave-animals-out-of-the-picture/
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/workplace-talent/the-creative-class-bandana-tewari/
https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/artist-jemisha-maadhavjis-portraits-paint-a-picture-of-genderless-fashion-fluidity-and-self-expression
https://www.vogue.in/magazine-story/bandana-tewari-on-the-wall-less-school-redefining-indian-education-in-her-new-hometown-of-bali/
https://www.optionstheedge.com/topic/people/fashion-journalist-and-sustainability-activist-bandana-tewari-how-heritage-and
https://thevoiceoffashion.com/fabric-of-india/opinion/what-modern-luxury-can-learn-from-gandhi–2023
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/7RMVSwgE76AMn9lZADI6aI/Bandana-Tewari-dreams-of-fashion-that-saves-the-planet.html