The India Expert

2.6 billion people live in India and China. Yet Vanity Fair magazine could not find a single person among those two countries to make its 2008 best dressed list.  Among 36 names mentioned, there are 22 whose primary residence is in the United States (including a whopping 15 New York City alone). The balance of the 14 live in Europe.

That’s preposterous! Its hypocrisy to call the list “international” unless the publication intended to match the home continent of its advertisers.

By any reasonable definition, there are plenty of very well-dressed people in Brazil, Egypt, Dubai, Australia, Japan, Singapore, you name it. There are thousands in India and China that are better dressed than the horrendously attired Iris Apfel (what IS that thing on her chest, and are those Halloween spectacles?) or the confused Stacey Bendet.

Since Iam the India expert, let me point to a recent Indian best dressed list.  Being attractive and being well-dressed are not the same thing of course, but look at former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bacchan or at another movie star from India, Rani Mukherjee.

There are dozens of men and women better dresses than Vanity Fair’s selections. I am sure someone from China could come up with a long list.

Posted on September 6th, 2008 by Gunjan

California-based management consultant Gunjan Bagla runs Amritt, a consulting firm helping American companies to succeed in India. He is author of Business in 21st Century India: How to Profit Today from Tomorrow’s Most Exciting Market (Hachette Book Group, July 2008).