The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi’s campaign to transform India by Lance Price

Author:Lance Price [Price, Lance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2015-03-11T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Brand Modi

A man in his mid-sixties with glasses, grey hair and a beard is not everybody’s idea of a fashion icon. But it is one of the many apparent contradictions that make Modi so unusual that this self-proclaimed ‘man of the people’ is as fashion-conscious as any leader on the world stage. Even the New York Times fashion blog has been moved to note that ‘Mr Modi stands out. Literally and strategically.’ I remember the lengthy discussions inside 10 Downing Street when Tony Blair realised for the first time that he needed glasses. He fancied himself in a pair of Calvin Klein’s, but we in the communications team insisted he should get an NHS pair so he wouldn’t be accused of being too flash. Narendra Modi had no such inhibitions. It has been widely reported that his glasses are from Bvlgari, his watch is a Movado and the pen that often pokes from his top pocket is by Mont Blanc. The shirts themselves, a short-sleeved version of the traditional round-necked kurta, have become an internationally sought-after brand. He has them hand-made, and is often seen to change them several times a day, even switching colours so they go well with the background when he speaks.

His own account of the birth of the Modi Kurta has itself become legendary. He claims it was merely a way of making life easier before he was famous and was just a nomad travelling the country with a small bag. ‘I had to wash my own clothes. So I thought my shirt occupied too much effort in washing and space too. I cut the sleeves myself. So my shirt became half sleeved. I have been wearing such clothes for over twenty-five years. Yes, I like to dress up well and stay clean. God has gifted me the sense of mixing and matching colours. So I manage everything on my own. Since I’m God gifted I fit well in everything. I have no fashion designer but I’m happy to hear that I dress well.’

Modi’s fashionable tastes are said to be one reason that some traditionalists in the RSS, with its austere customs, became suspicious of him. In a sense his clothes and accessories are a very visible expression of what does indeed set him apart from the strict nationalist tradition. For him they symbolise his commitment to modernisation, ambition and good-quality products, although I’m sure there is a touch of vanity behind his choice of clothes too. Men across India didn’t exactly rush out to buy short-sleeved shirts once Modi and his kurtas were on the TV every night, but the garment industry realised there was a marketing opportunity to exploit and both high-end and cheaper versions of the kurtas soon started appearing in shops and markets.

Every craze in the world, it seems, generates its own t-shirts and the Modi phenomenon was certainly no exception. Some of the first to appear were designed even before he became the candidate, by young supporters who had created an online campaign called ‘Modi-fying India’.

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