Indian sexuality comes out of the closet, lingerie ads mix fun and functionality

R​emember Asha Parekh crooning ‘O mera sona re, sona re’ to a visibly upset Shammi Kapoor in Teesri Manzil? Or Rekha playing a courtesan in Umrao Jaan? In fact, think of any movie from the 60s to the 80s particularly, with a special glance at the female leads’ costumes.

Ranging from the modest salwar kameez to a sari and the occasional dress, there are aspects of the actresses’ figures that would have lingerie brands in a tizzy, today. With unnaturally conical breasts and largerthan-life behinds, today’s actresses would be laughed right back into their vanity vans if they dared appear on camera like their counterparts of yesteryears.

Although we are nowhere close to buying the $2 million bra that Victoria’s Secret’s Angels unveiled in their recently concluded fashion show, Indian women are now open to experimenting with their lingerie.

The approximately Rs 10000-15000 crore lingerie category in India (about two-thirds of which is unorganised) has seen much upheaval over the last few years. But blame that on the urban Indian woman, who has rapidly evolved, forcing brands to keep pace. She earns more than she ever did, is independent, outgoing, loves to dress up, and most importantly, doesn’t treat lingerie as something to be spoken about in whispers.

Of course she is going to spend Rs 2500 on that mauve lacy bra if she wants to, and we’d like to see you stop her. “A few years ago, the Indian woman wasn’t even comfortable wearing western wear. But she is now fashionable and confidently carries off all kinds of looks with panache. With such evolving fashion needs, she needs lingerie that can support her multi-facetedness,” says Smita Murarka, head – marketing and e-commerce, MAS Brands, the company retailing Amante.

Rama Bijapurkar, independent market strategy consultant adds, “Indian sexuality has come out of the home closet as various sexual behaviour surveys tell us. Media discussion, too, on this subject is far more open than ever before. Add to this, women are now coming into their own and breaking prescribed taboos on how they are supposed to behave and dress.”

Even the humble saree blouse has transformed, with tailors and designers educating women about fashion and the latest trends forcing w o m e n t o upgrade their lingerie. Obviously, the advertising has evolved by miles, too.

Run a YouTube search for older Indian lingerie brands and watch TVCs for the likes of Sona Lingerie, which tries capturing the important moments of a woman’s life (don’t miss how the model dons the North Indian married women’s chooda the minute the script moves to ‘Intimate Moments’).

Or the VIP Feelings bra ad featuring a classy, saree-clad Kitu Gidwani, and a much younger lad who wants to ask her out to lunch. But while sensuality may have been an attribute staring at a woman from the sidelines of the commercial, lingerie was always portrayed to have a more functional role in a woman’s life. And guess what? Even with all the changes, Indian lingerie brands are still giving in-your-face sexuality a wide berth.

Let’s just say you are unlikely to see campaigns like Calvin Klein’s ‘X Marks the Spot’, Penelope Cruz’s directorial debut for Agent Provocateur’s Autumn Winter campaign, Triumph’s ‘Zero to Sexy’ TV commercial or Marks Spencers outdoor campaign for the ‘Autograph’ range that was banned in the UK. It is time to ask the difficult question. Does sex really sell?

Enamor’s positioning ‘Fabulous As I Am’ is derived from how women look forward to everything that life has to offer — from jobs, occasions to family time. “We believe women find it demeaning to look at the typical lingerie ads one sees in magazines. We wanted to show them having a good time, being themselves and celebrating their fabulousness while staying in the fashion space,” says Sandra Daniels, VP – marketing, Enamor India.

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