Why are NRI stores abroad selling ‘outdated’ Indian ethnic wear? Indian creator calls them ‘tacky’ and ‘o

(Image Credits: Instagram) Indian traditional wear is more than just a saree and kurta. It revolves around century-old craftsmanship, stunning silhouettes, and artistic vision that looks breathtaking and heavenly. A viral video on the internet has reignited an unexpected debate about Indian fashion overseas, where Western culture seems to put a limit on Indian traditional wear, which is only limited to a bright-looking kurta with a flimsy silhouette.A video shared on Instagram on June 10 by a foreign-based creator, Mohit Dantre quickly spiralled online, where a store selling Indian clothing in New York City only had kurtas drenched in tacky bright shades and created from low-quality material, which left him frustrated. (Image Credits: Instagram)The video has him saying, “Yaar, NRIs bohot tacky Indian kapde pehente hain" (People always accuse NRIs of wearing tacky Indian clothes); "yeh toh ilzam humpe hamesha lagta hai" (that's an allegation we've always faced). But ek naya ilzam main laga raha hoon (but I have a new allegation to make); NRIs bohot tacky Indian kapde bech bhi rahe hain duniya mein (NRIs are also selling very tacky Indian clothes across the world).” He explained his reaction while showing the video and said, “When I came across this reel, it boiled my blood. Before I show you this video, I want to clarify that I have no issue with the creator himself. He seems like a great guy. He's a foreigner who had a family event to attend and wanted to wear Indian clothes, so he went to an Indian clothing store in New York City to shop for an outfit. My problem is not with him; it's with the kind of clothes that are being sold and marketed as representative of Indian fashion.”FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 players who dress better than most celebritiesMohit also reviewed the outfits and was left visibly unimpressed. He looked at a bright red and yellow kurta set and questioned God in a quirky and frustrated manner, “What kind of combination is this?” (Image Credits: Instagram)Reacting to the ensemble, he continued, “I mean, oh my God. You know those Patel sisters from Harry Potter and The Office? When they were Indian (or whenever Indian characters appear in Hollywood productions like Harry Potter or The Office), or anytime anybody in Hollywood wears tacky, ugly Indian clothes and they call them Indian—gande colours (bad colour combinations), ganda fabric (poor-quality fabric), and chamak dhamak (excessive glitter and bling). Yeh kya hai bhai? (What is this, seriously?)."Mohit further shared his strongest criticism for the store owners and said, “My issue is with the NRIs who own these stores. I don't want to send them any hate, but what exactly are you people selling?. At least put in some effort. Even small shops in small Indian towns pay attention to fit. They use good fabrics.”Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna serve opposite style energies at ‘Cocktail 2’ promotions and we can’t pick a winnerHe argued that Indian fashion is much more than loud colours and heavy, embellished, boring styles. He said, “Of course, we love colours. But there is a balance and harmony to them. Yeh neela peela ek saath phenkte hain (Here they just throw blue and yellow together). Upar se ganda sa stole (And then add an unattractive stole on top of it). What is this? You're damaging your own reputation and misrepresenting Indian fashion."The controversy has now opened up a larger conversation about how Indian fashion is represented abroad and whether NRI retailers are preserving the tradition or are still following the stereotypes that were created decades ago by the Western markets.