Fashion Figure Illustration and Western Beauty Standards in Indian Fashion Design Education: A Critical Analysis

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@article{1717014,
      author = {Prof. Pravin D. Pavhare},
      title = {Fashion Figure Illustration and Western Beauty Standards in Indian Fashion Design Education: A Critical Analysis},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {10},
      pages = {3533-3539},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1717014.pdf},
      abstract = {The croqui, or fashion figure illustration, is the basis of teaching fashion and clothing designs. However, most fashion illustration figures are based on Eurocentric and colonial ideals of body type which differ from Indian women's bodies. This paper provides a critical analysis of the differences between the fashion figures used in design schools in India and the actual body types of Indian women. It uses de-colonialization, intersectionality and post-colonialism to argue that using Eurocentric fashion figures perpetuates existing systems of discrimination against women by their bodies and negatively affects the effectiveness of education in design. It will also present solutions to create India-specific fashion figure reference materials that represent all of the various body types of Indian women while being true to indigenous aesthetics.},
      keywords = {Fashion Figure Illustration, Croqui, Indian Women's Body Types, Western Beauty Standards, Decolonizing Fashion Education, Anthropometric Data, Body Image, INDIA Size},
      month = {April},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1717014}
  }