Actress Swara Bhasker tells Ayushi Sharma that most brands are on board the feminist bandwagon for their promotion campaigns because it sells and they have begun to realise that
Feeling good in your lingerie is imperative, regardless of whether anyone else will sneak a peek of you in it or not. It has always been a very personal and practical item. In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob got crafty with some handkerchiefs and ribbons to create the first modern-day bra. It was more for utilisation and as a protecting garment for breasts. However, today, lingerie is defined by a sales pitch dependent on the male gaze — something that is only meant to be seen by your partner; something that is to be worn for someone else. But it is as usual as other clothes and a health guard.
In a black bralette paired with an all-beige blazer and trousers, actress Swara Bhasker celebrates the first anniversary of Clovia, a luxury lingerie brand. She feels that lingerie is as normal and regular as anything else. We have been always hush-hush about it because we “shy.” But it’s been around since the beginning. “We have been watching in advertisements since childhood — ‘yeh andar ki baat hai,’ ‘yeh toh bada toing hai,’ ‘crafted for fantasy’ and what not. If we can celebrate the comfort of men’s innerwear as we have been doing for so many decades, why can’t we do the same for women’s? What is the big deal there? Why do we have to shy away from it? Why do we have to cover it in a black polybag while selling it?” she questions.
Well, indeed, lingerie should be considered as a means of uplifting women themselves. “Innerwear is something that should be for the women to feel bold and beautiful,” says the Veere Di Wedding actress.
Swara is known for how she puts forth her strong opinions. She says, “It’s important to be confident in everything that you do. And it’s okay to be noisier about the things that you want and you know are right.”
It’s a commonly-known fact that women have multiple personalities and disparate emotions. And, Swara believes, “Lingerie lets us express all of that when we don’t want to project them to the outside world.” She goes on to add about the new trends that brands are keeping in mind while creating them. “The most satisfying thing about lingerie brands today is that they have become quite aware that there is no one body type. The perfect type for women hasn’t always been a size zero. The model that you see on the cover of magazines is not the only body type or colour. Now brands are catering to everyone,” says she.
The actress feels that to have a brand which caters to women’s needs is so important. She says, “To have a comfortable innerwear and clothes that can actually enable you to get going is so vital. Innerwear is something that we don’t value enough. But lingerie brands are doing a great job. It feels good to see that women now have the liberty to make a choice of what will look best on them. I love to wear something that is comfortable yet full of colours and something that can enhance what you already have. It’s nice to see more lingerie brands not getting scared by an opinionated woman.”
Ask Swara why so many brands are associating their promotional strategies with campaigns based on women empowerment, the most recent example being Fire Within Me by Levis, and she says, “Brands have realised that it is important for them to be in touch with the aspirations and emotions of their consumers, especially women, who, in our country, are now becoming more vocal. They are much more aware about their rights now. The brands are just catching on to that. And because media has become so sensitive to gender issues, being feminist is the new cool. Everyone is on board the feminist bandwagon because it sells and brands have begun to realise that. It’s wonderful to see brands putting their name behind a good cause. So why not support them?”
The actress believes that freedom is something that has to be earned, protected and sort of re-earned constantly. Women empowerment for her is the freedom to make her own choices and to have the opportunity for self growth. “Empowerment comes in many forms, we must recognise and appreciate it constantly,” says she.
Is a background check important for Swara before associating herself with any brand? She says, “As a public figure, I can do a background check on the information that is available in the public realm. But I don’t have access to any greater information than the rest of the people. One definitely does a basic check of what is available and what people know about the brand. However, I don’t think that you can hold celebrities responsible for the things that are not in public.”
She feels that if you are wearing something and constantly twitching it, “don’t wear it” just for the sake of wearing it because life is lived out of Instagram these days. “After the post, you still have to be in that outfit and move around. You have to feel good to look good. It has been proven that when you feel your best is when you are at your best,” says she as she walks out in style.
