Zara selling lungis at Rs 6,000 is peak obsession with desis
Here's how lungi made a comeback as people were on the verge of forgetting
Like Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell popularised gamcha (Indian version of towel) in the international fashion market through her designs, European fashion brand Zara seems to be bent on taking the ubiquitous “lungi” to new heights. However, the attempt fetched many guffaws on social media, as its skirt, modelled after the lungi, is priced at more than Rs 6,000.
A traditional lungi extends up to the heel, but is often lifted upwards a little and tied in a knot for convenience, and the mid-calf length skirt of Zara exactly looks the same. And the check prints only confirms the fact that the "flowing skirt" is nothing, but a "foreign lungi". After it was discovered, some people also took a moment to reflect how the foreign brand imports things from this part of the world and rebrands it, imparting more glory to those mundane objects lurking in the darkness here.
The way age-old turmeric milk became turmeric latte, ghee became clarified butter, and charpoy became daybeds, the lungi became a “flowing skirt with draped detail in the front”. Yes, the detail looks like the knot in which it is tied for convenience. According to Zara’s website, the piece of bottomwear has front slit detail at the hem and zip fastening in the back hidden along the seam.
Repackaging is definitely a part of designing, but what amuses people is the price of the piece of cloth. While Zara’s India website prices the skirt at Rs 4,990, its site for the Unites States quotes a price of 89.90 dollars.
For Indian Twitter users, the sudden glory of lungi, which was last made popular through the song "Lungi dance" from Chennai Express, was a reason for a good laugh. People from outside India are amused at the “resemblance” between the skirt and “Asian male skirt”.
According to an article of Metro, lungi is “the heat-appropriate staple for men in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somaliland, and Nepal. You might have even seen it on your gap yah travels in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.”
“Shockingly (or not), the fashion purveyor is charging £69.99… And if you were thinking of rushing to the store or website, hold your horses because I can find at least 17 different places that sell the attire for about £3,” the article says.
And this is how Twitter users had a laugh at Zara’s cost. Or, was it too much?
A £69.99 skirt from @ZARA that looks like a south Asian male skirt (lungi) that costs less than £1 ???????????? pic.twitter.com/47aA2SSSg5
— Aria (@ms_aria101) January 28, 2018
Showing all my Canadian friends the inspiration for #Zara's skrit that is selling for ~$90. We in India did this first! ???? #Lungi pic.twitter.com/Z47pPLjjSB
— Rashi Kakkar (@rashi_kakkar) January 30, 2018
Zara is selling lungi now... not buying clothes in '18 was a good idea... such temp relief from shit that gets sold these days ???? pic.twitter.com/8pv0OuyLMh
— Ramya (@ramyaprakash) January 30, 2018
Me: "Hahahahahah what's with that dumbass £70 lungi from Zara. Pachaas rupaye ki milti hai. Yeh firangs bhi naa, complete idiots."Starbucks' barista: "What'll you have, sir?"Me: "One Turmeric Spiced Chai Latte"
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) January 30, 2018
Zara is selling lungi in 8200 Rs. & people r reacting like “omg, wtf, r u mad ?” , Don’t forget we r the same people who pays 6-7K for ripped jeans.
— Vodka + Cyanide (@Riskiest_Poison) January 30, 2018
Fashion is mad. Rs 6000 for a lungi. https://t.co/sWTvPLiKPl
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) January 30, 2018
Zara out here selling macawis for £70?! I'm good g - I'll just get my dads one from his cupboard for free ???? pic.twitter.com/YGzMgNIvjm
— General Nasir (@GeneralNasir) January 29, 2018
Who wore it better? And yes Zara, that's a lungi! pic.twitter.com/65KwCBxIDC
— Aaqib Raza Khan (@aaqibrk) January 30, 2018
Many are also comparing the skirt with the Sarong, which is a common wrap donned by Indonesians. The international fashion industry is teeming with such disasters. Last year, Gucci unveiled its collection of new sneakers "coated with grime", which exactly looked like dirty school shoes before they were cleaned and white-polished.