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Who would have envisioned a 74-year-old man making a fashion statement with his white kurta pyjama and Gandhi Topi in the 21st century? But Anna Hazare has allured youth who are not only supporting his anti-corruption movement but imitating his style as well.
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According to designers, the Gandhi Topi - a slim boat-shaped cap often worn with a slight tilt that was the sartorial symbol of India's freedom movement - was always in demand but the reformer has pushed its popularity to another level and made it look very "cool".
"The Gandhian Topi has been in trend since the 1900s. The cap was usually worn by people on Republic Day and Independence Day. What we can say is Anna has brought the fashion trend back," designer Anjalee Kapoor told IANS.
"But his style of wearing the topi has become a very important aspect of the movement. He has made it look very cool," she added.
The market is flooded with these caps which have "I AM ANNA" written over them and street vendors from all over India - Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad - are selling it.
"We had made around 1,500 topis only for Independence Day and I was doubtful whether I would be able to sell the whole stock. But it was a surprise to find youngsters buying these caps. By Aug 16, when Annaji went on fast, the caps ran out of stock in no time," said Amrit Kumar, a vendor who sells at Ramlila Maidan, the site of Anna' protest fast.
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According to designers, the Gandhi Topi - a slim boat-shaped cap often worn with a slight tilt that was the sartorial symbol of India's freedom movement - was always in demand but the reformer has pushed its popularity to another level and made it look very "cool".
"The Gandhian Topi has been in trend since the 1900s. The cap was usually worn by people on Republic Day and Independence Day. What we can say is Anna has brought the fashion trend back," designer Anjalee Kapoor told IANS.
The market is flooded with these caps which have "I AM ANNA" written over them and street vendors from all over India - Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad - are selling it.
"We had made around 1,500 topis only for Independence Day and I was doubtful whether I would be able to sell the whole stock. But it was a surprise to find youngsters buying these caps. By Aug 16, when Annaji went on fast, the caps ran out of stock in no time," said Amrit Kumar, a vendor who sells at Ramlila Maidan, the site of Anna' protest fast.