Ever since Moda Goa debuted at the Jaipur Literary Festival earlier this year, its author, veteran designer Wendell Rodricks, has been inundated with questions about his 11-year-long journey that finally culminated in this richly textured work. A treatise on the history of Goan costumes, Moda Goa is a book that almost never was — there was no intention to write or publish his years of comprehensive research on Wendell’s part, not until he was approached by a team from the publishers, HarperCollins.
“Not only was Moda Goa pure in the sense that it wasn’t a commercial endeavour, I also had the luxury of time,” says Wendell. “I realise now that I started to do my research at the right age, and I did it while maintaining my designing alongside. I think that has surprised everyone: That despite all the fashion weeks etc., I was toiling silently on this book. Moda Goa is a labour of love and a legacy for the Goan people. It also puts into perspective the clothing culture of Goa at a national and international level.”
Indeed, by bringing out the specific histories regarding the costumes of Goa, Wendell has managed to bring out the complex history of the region itself. Wendell says, “The early part of the book is, in fact, the history of the Konkan coast. I have found very few maps that show the Konkan as a coastal strip. We are bound today by the Konkani language, but there are clothing ties as well. The Catholic fishing community in Mumbai has the same style of wearing a sari, church veil and jewellery… If I have the time I would like to write a book on the Konkan coast as it will make for interesting research.” Research is something Wendell clearly enjoys, and for Moda Goa, he spent months working in museums in Paris and New York and travelling all over the Western coast, up to Kerala. After all the hard work, there is a sense of relief that the book is out and being talked about in all the right places. “At some stage even my close friends despaired that the book would not see the light of day as I was collecting information in a seemingly endless fashion,” Wendell says, adding, “Today I regret that I did not include the iconic clothes of the Konkani Tiatr. But I guess that can go into future publications.”
In a strange contrast of sorts, the kind of fashion Wendell has created over the years can best be described as timeless, while his book evinces his great interest in matters of the past. “For me, it has always been about style, not fashion. Style is timeless. You can spot a Wendell garment from a mile off and not confuse it with any other designer — unless they are rip-offs!” says Wendell with a laugh. “I think it is huge compliment when I meet people and they say, ‘Remember this from 1991?’ And yes, it looks timeless. But recording culture is completely different from designing a collection.”
In fact, the past might even have had a part to play in shaping Wendell’s sensibilities. “What was surprising was that in my fashion, I was naturally inclined to a style that can best be described as Indo-Western. In the process of researching for Moda Goa, I discovered that the first Indo-Western garments were ‘born’ in Goa. The Portuguese, being the first colonisers in India created not just a hybrid people but also hybrid clothing. The climate made them wear garments that were a mix of Indian and international influences. Goa got the best part of the trade route. We got not only strange and new fruits and vegetables like cashews and potatoes, we also got exotic clothing from Malacca, China and Burma,” he says. He hopes one day to have the rich history of his state’s costumes enshrined in a dedicated institute. “God willing, I will open a Goa Costume Institute one day. It will be an educational institute with a museum attached… I hope Moda Goa will influence others to think about recording our culture. The material is already there, in libraries and in people’s lives. All you need to do is approach the topic.”