Gulmarg fashion show sparks row in Indian-administered Kashmir

A fashion show held last week in a picturesque, snow-covered town in Indian-administered Kashmir has sparked a huge controversy that continues to unfold. The show, organized by well-known fashion brand Shivan & Narresh, took place last Friday at a ski resort in Gulmarg and aimed to showcase their skiwear collection. The brand is the first major non-local brand to host a fashion show in Kashmir, a scenic Himalayan region that has experienced decades of violence.

However, the fashion show quickly drew the ire of local Kashmiri residents, politicians, and religious leaders, the majority of whom are Muslim, after fashion magazine Elle India posted a video on social media showing some models wearing lingerie or bikinis. Locals were also angered by another video shared by online magazine Lifestyle Asia, which showed a party held after the fashion show where people were drinking alcohol outdoors.

Many expressed dissatisfaction with the fashion show being held during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims, and accused the designers of "mocking their faith" and "disregarding local culture and sentiments." Some clerics called the show "obscene," saying it was like "soft pornography." Others explained that the anger stemmed not only from religious conservatism but also from fears of cultural imposition by "outsiders." Since the late 1980s, Kashmir has witnessed decades of armed separatist insurgency against Indian rule.

The strong backlash prompted Elle India and Lifestyle Asia to remove their videos. Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja, the designers behind the brand, also apologized, saying that their "sole intention was to celebrate creativity" and that they had no intention of offending religious sentiments. Known as the land of saints and Sufism (Islamic mysticism), Kashmir has a rich spiritual tradition that influences many aspects of people's lives. Traditional clothing is modest, and locals, including men and women, often wear the pheran, a long, loose cloak.

The dispute has also moved beyond social media, with discussions about the fashion show and party causing a stir in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The opposition criticized the government, accusing it of allowing the event to take place despite knowing local sensitivities. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah distanced himself and his government, saying the event was organized by private entities and requesting local authorities to investigate the matter and submit a report. "If any laws have been violated, strict action will be taken," he said in parliament on Monday. Police have not released details about who organized the event and which laws were violated.

The fashion brand did not respond to the BBC's questions about the fashion show, including the permits it obtained. The scenic Gulmarg is one of India's few ski destinations and a favorite among tourists, so it is not surprising that it was chosen as the venue to highlight the skiwear collection. Fashion journalist Shefalee Vasudev said that it is common for designers to want to hold fashion shows in exquisite locations. In fact, international designers like Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld are known for their creative and dramatic fashion shows, as much as their iconic designs.

But experimentation comes with the risk of controversy, so it's important to be mindful of a place's political and cultural sensitivities, Ms. Vasudev told the BBC. This is especially true in a place like Kashmir, which has experienced war and decades of armed conflict. Both India and Pakistan claim full sovereignty over Kashmir, but only control parts of it. Since the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over the territory. Since the late 1980s, thousands have died when a separatist insurgency against Indian rule erupted. While the separatist movement has lost momentum over the years, many locals remain distrustful of the government in Delhi.

These sentiments have deepened since 2019, when the federal government, led by India's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, stripped the region of its autonomy. As a result, some locals told the BBC that they were not surprised by the reaction to the show. "Everything in Kashmir is political; people see things through a political lens," said Mir, a professor at a local university. (He asked that his last name be withheld to protect his identity). He added that people are suspicious of large corporate events like fashion shows, even if they are organized by private organizers, believing that the government is trying to downplay their culture.

Researcher Arshid Ahmad used stronger language to express public anxiety. "The government is trying to dilute the Kashmiri spirit of resistance," he said. This is not the first time that an event organized by non-locals has sparked controversy in Kashmir. In 2013, separatists and human rights activists in the region protested a performance by renowned conductor Zubin Mehta. They said it was an attempt by the government to show the world that everything was fine in Kashmir, while people were "suffering and dying." Some of the recent concerns surrounding culture and identity can also be linked to the influx of tourists from other states of India into Kashmir. The federal government often links the tourism boom to the abrogation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its autonomy.

Nousheen Fatima, 34, said that due to the government's messaging, people outside of Kashmir now believe the region is safer and "more integrated into India." But she claims that many tourists do not respect the region's culture. Last year, a video showing tourists drinking alcohol while boating on Srinagar's famous Dal Lake sparked outrage among political and religious leaders, who called the behavior "un-Islamic and immoral." In February of this year, locals posted posters in Srinagar asking tourists to "respect local culture and traditions" and to "avoid drinking and drugs," but the posters were later removed by police.

In an editorial in The Voice of Fashion magazine, Ms. Vasudev argued that the anger needs to be examined from a critical perspective. She asked if the show would have been okay if it had been held in another city in India, where Muslims would also be observing Ramadan. If the show had only featured clothing considered modest, would it have been acceptable to hold it in Kashmir. She also pointed out that Kashmir is home to "the world’s best wool yarn; some of the finest hand-spun, hand-woven pashmina work and its artisans."

"What Kashmir creates and represents cannot be replicated anywhere. So, should a fashion show in Gulmarg, showcasing innovative clothing made from 100% wool, be seen as a way to reignite interest in an untried way?" she asked.