THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Retro is in. ‘Koupeenam,’ the desi loin cloth is cocking a snook at the multi-billion dollar undergarment industry, courtesy an applied arts student in the city.Akhil Raj K V, a final-year student at the College of Fine Arts, has ‘reinvented’ the simple Indian undergarment for the 21st century male as part of his college project. ‘Koupeen’ - Akhil has tweaked the name a bit for panache - made from 'pure cotton' comes in a chic sachet he himself has designed.Predictably, the youngster from Kannur is ecstatic about ‘Koupeen’, though he has no immediate plans to market it. "The Koupeenam clearly has an edge over the briefs that are so popular today. And it goes back a long way. Even the ‘Kamasutra’ and old Ayurvedic texts mention it,’’ says Akhil.If that doesn’t get the macho males queuing up, this should. "The USP of the ‘Koupeenam’ is that it’s healthy. It’s simple to wear, allows air flow unlike briefs and has no elastic. Elastic hurts the skin. Koupeenam doesn’t cause rashes,’’ he says. Best of all, it fits to size, unlike factory-produced modern undergarments which come in general sizes. And it has the added charm of being ethnic wear. This most rudimentary of male underwear is simply a strip of cloth with strings at the ends. Come to think of it, the Koupeenam must be one of the oldest Indian inventions, though less-talked-about. "Westerners discontinued using the tight briefs by the 1970s, boxer shorts are more popular there now. Why? They clearly understood the health implications. But we still stick to them,’’ says Akhil, who did some research into the ‘underworld’ as part of the project.Old wine in new bottle, surely, but Akhil has made some alterations to suit the needs of the ever-on-the-move modern male. "One reason why the Koupeenam gave way to the briefs was that it proved to be a nuisance if you had to take a piss. So I’ve given it a vent, so you don’t have to untie the whole garment.’’‘Koupeen’ comes only in two colours; white and grey. "Coloured underwear can prove harmful, since the skin there is very sensitive. Light colours also prevent people from wearing undergarments for two or three days at a stretch,’’ he adds with a chuckle.
Comments
0 comment