Kolkata Man in Saree, Bindi is the Desi Representation We Needed in Milan Streets

A student of fashion marketing and communication, Pushpak Sen, has created waves on social media with his latest photoshoot. Sen, who hails from Kolkata, recently grabbed the limelight by posing in a saree on the streets of one of the major fashion hubs, Milan. Sen wore a black saree styled with a blazer in the now-viral pictures shared on his Instagram account. He also donned a red bindi and quirky sunglasses in the photo. “Being a man in a saree would take me nowhere they said. Guess who’s walking in it on the streets of one of the major fashion capitals of the world?” Sen wrote in his post.

Here is the post:

A post shared by Pushpak Sen (@thebongmunda)

The photo has garnered many reactions and tons of appreciative comments from netizens. Many commented on how the red bindi has enhanced the overall aesthetic.

In a conversation with News18.com, Sen said, “When I decided to come to Italy for my master’s degree, I searched for the trends and the kind of dress material people wear here, since Italy is renowned for its fashion. Although there are a lot of Indians here, I didn’t see anyone donning our traditional saree. This upset me and got me thinking as to why we are not representing our rich culture and heritage. This inspired me to proudly flaunt our sarees in the streets of Milan.”

Sen also shared how the people in Italy and his collegemates express views on his clothing. “I try to wear a saree whenever I go to college. Sometimes when I don’t get time to, people ask me why I’m not wearing a saree. It took just one day for a new society to start loving and accepting my culture. That encouraged me to represent India in Milan, rather than follow the European style.” The spirit of fashion in Kolkata and Milan are on par with each other,” he added.

Even though Sen was subject to jokes about his attire on social media, he takes it in his stride. “It is not necessary that I have to like everyone and everything online. Social media does not define me. Most importantly, we have to be open to differences of opinion. I am here to show that there are people like me and we live our lives to the fullest on our terms without hurting anybody.”

He said he has received more love and support than he could ever imagine. “I’m grateful to the people who didn’t conform to the gender binary in the past. They have ensured a safe space for me as well as others who’ll follow suit.”

Sen had gone viral last year also by posting a picture of him wearing red lipstick to send a message to relatives who ‘slut-shamed’ his 54-year-old mother for putting on red lipstick. Sporting dark-kohled eyes with bold red lips, he had taken to social media to narrate the story, “My mother, a woman of 54 years, got slut-shamed, by some of our nearest relatives, for wearing red lipstick at a family get-together. So yesterday, I sent all of them this picture with a ‘Good morning. Get well soon.’ message.”

According to Sen, society is becoming more progressive. Being inclusive starts with each one of us, he said.

Social media has recently seen a rise in examples of androgynous fashion with both celebrities, too, embracing gender-neutral clothing, slowly evolving into a movement of sorts. Actors such as Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Aparshakti Khurana, and Jim Sarbh have especially experimented with their styles and tried to make their fashion statements more inclusive.

Last year, pop singer Harry Styles shattered straightjacket male dressing stereotypes when he appeared in a flowing dress over a jacket. Styles said that he loved playing dress-up since childhood and was inspired by British icons like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, John Elton who experimented with their styles.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.