New Delhi: Flambuoyant Indian designer Malini Ramani, known for her shocking creations, and the well-known pret designer duo of Falguni and Shane Peacock presented their latest collection on Sunday, the sixth day of the ongoing Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) in New Delhi. Malini's collection, "Warrior Princess", was an eclectic mix of various styles, all inspired from the desert district of Jodhpur of Rajasthan. "There was no theme as such but my inspiration was from Rajasthan, so I had three sections from that. One was very feminine and the other one was like very kitsch and funky from Pushkar fair and the third was more like a desert warrior princess kind of look," said Ramani. Her collection included glamorous, provocative, figure-hugging clothes, adorned with loads of sequins and beading, all representing the "rock star meets Indian princess" style statement by Malini Ramani.

     Meanwhile, designers Shane and Falguni Peacock married jewellery to clothes and presented crystal encrusted pants and bead-strung blouses in a collection that was both opulent and extravagant. The designer duo's collection included heavily embellished garments in colours of blue, pink, orange, black and nude. Sheer nets, crepes, satin, chiffons and georgettes gave the garments a dressy feel even as the silhouettes clung to the body. The embroidery was the high point of the collection. Intricate sequinned flowers were enhanced with crystal and huge beads of semi precious stones. Models also walked the ramp in dresses in floral prints, ponchos with leather fringes and ruffled skirts. This was one of the few collections at LIFW that was not truly pret most of the outfits were expensive because of the intricate embroidery involved. The jewel-encrusted pants have been priced at around 25,000 rupees while the rest of the collection is priced between 3,000 and and 35,000 rupees.
May 2, 2004

Rohit Bal and Sabyasachi rule the ramp

     New Delhi: The fifth day of the Lakme (LIFW) Indian Fashion Week currently under way in the Capital New Delhi on May 1 showcased the collections of two happening male designers, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Rohit Bal. Maverick designer Bal showcased his electric all-male collection "Balance" in a unique 18-minute ramp show. The theme of the collection, "Bird of Paradise, reflected the beauty and vanity of the male form in all its glorious splendour. It was a combination of whimsical and serious art forms, and according to Bal, created "a balance between the classic and the contemporary". Bal, whose show was perhaps the most eagerly awaited at the Fashion week, drew upon history, fantasy and folklore to create masterpieces. "I want only those people to wear my clothes who are courageous, adventurous, who have a spirit of individuality, a kind of familiarity with them," said Bal. Hailed by Time magazine as India's master of fabric and fantasy, Rohit Bal is the trend-maker of Indian fashion scenario.

     Meanwhile, the new genius of Indian fashion -- Kolkata-based designer Sabyasachi Mukerjee got a a standing ovation for his "Frog Princess" collection, which epitomised the bohemian chic look. Lush velvets teamed with cotton, lace and organza, all stained and washed to give it a vintage cool look, models chewing on bread and chocolate walked the ramp lazily to the strains of a live violin. It was a Parisian evening come alive, the frivolous romantic look Sabyasachi had strived for. There were saris, little crochet blouses, quilted jackets and pleated skirts in this only womenswear line. And it worked. While shows earlier in the day were barely half full, people stood in the aisles to watch Sabyasachi, who has established himself as the new star on the Indian fashion horizon.

    Appreciating audiences said that the collection was quite unlike what they had been exposed to, so far in the Fashion Week. "I think it was fantastic, he (Sabyasachi Mukherjee) is such a creative mind. He is really inventive especially for India. I think he is really going to go far," said model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif. "I just wanted to come and see the look that he (Sabyasachi Mukherjee) has because every time he has a new look, which is so good about him, because he is so innovative and its the whole drama and attitude with this clothes that really steal the show," said jewellery designer and socialite Queenie Dhody. Sabyasachi has priced his collection between 600 to 12,000 rupees. LIFW, happening for the fifth consecutive year, is expected to generate 25 per cent more business than last year. With over 400 buyers, 30 fashion shows, close to 10,000 invited guests and an equal number of gatecrashers, the event is marked by the characteristic confusion but has always managed to pull through. Organised by the Fashion Design Council of India, the mega event is expected to generate a business of over 4.5 million rupees as compared to 3.5 million rupees in Bombay last year. India's nascent fashion industry, estimated at rupees 20 million would get a boost with the fashion week, which would catapult it to the world stage in the coming years.
May 2, 2004

Male models suffer in fashion industry

     New Delhi: In India, there's at least one industry where women are way ahead of their male counterparts. And that's fashion. When three male models recently walked out from the ongoing Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) citing insufficient payment and the lack of assurance as to the number of shows for which they would be chosen, it unravelled the insecurity among the men walking on the ramp. Women rule the fashion world to an extent that of 48 females taking part in the week-long extravaganza, there are just 16 men. However, except for top-notch designer Rohit Bal, none of the 52 designers who are participating in the event will be using all male models. Most designers have chosen an average of five male models for their shows. Rina Dhaka's show, which opened the event, used just one male model. "Obviously they are less paid because fashion is a female's world and they are more close to female...an average show may have 10-12 female models but only 4-5 guys. So it depends on what the designers are looking for. We are not competing with them but it's definitely a woman's world out here," said Upen Patel, an upcoming model.

     According to the International Management Group, the organisers of the LIFW, an A-grade female model earns anything between Rs 30,000-40,000 for one appearance. Meanwhile, her male counterpart has to satisfy himself with just Rs 10,000. Fashion pundits say men's fashion does not figure high in demand as the males do not experiment much in India. "Men's fashion sells everywhere, but maybe Indian men are not ready to experiment with fashion," said ace choreographer Lubna Adams. Fashion czars say with the "metrosexual" man being the flavour of the season, it's time the Indian fashion industry too woo males with style.
May 1, 2004

East meets West at fashion week

     New Delhi: From Sophie Marceau, Kate Winslet to Nicole Kidman - having dressed some of the world's most beautiful and famous women, India's fledgling fashion designers are now hoping to make a splash in the world's top retail stores. Until now, Indian fashion designers have mostly sold to the country's rich and famous -- Bollywood film stars, socialites and industrialists with the occasional celebrity client abroad. For the first time they are hoping to enter the global market by catching the eye of foreign buyers at an annual fashion extravaganza in New Delhi, modelled on the Paris and Milan shows.

     India made its first tentative steps down the catwalk of world fashion with the economic reforms of the early 1990s, which opened doors long closed to Western influences and money. A satellite television boom exposed hundreds of millions of Indians to the outside world and fuelled demand for Western-style products. Raghavendra Rathore, the designer from the royal family of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, known for its vibrant colours and rich embellishments, said every designer was trying to work out that perfect combination of inspirational designs, financial management and market savvyness. "The bubble is about to burst. Only one or two designers will really make it. There have been one or two designers who have gone and tried it. If it hasn't worked, it hasn't worked for any of us. But very soon you will see a sort of a strength coming in that direction. Because people are dying, itching to see that perfect combination. And therefore the combinatin of the right designer the right financial strength, the market lies somehwere in India hidden right now," said Rathore who worked for Manhatten labels before setting up his own brand.

     All this in an industry where till a decade ago, haute couture was an expression that barely existed in the Indian vocabulary and Fashion stopped at ethnic homespun cotton outfits made by neighbourhood tailors or picked up at faded government-run emporia. Most designers copied their Western counterparts. Today designers are hoping to lure buyers through innovative Indo-Western combinations, adding deft touches such as traditional embroidery, crystalwork, beads and sequins to Western cuts and styles. They are also mixing and matching silks and handspun cotton or khadi, with shimmering Swarovski crystals and chiffons to create the East-meets-West fusion look.

     Fashion experts and industry insiders say it is only a matter of time before some striking originality and brilliance sees India ethnic establish itself with the international style icons. "They are looking for an original look, which definitely I mean needs to reflect some little original Indian creativity in it because that sets us apart from designers in the far east of Europe or America. So I feel its only when they identify with that, we sit with them on the collection they want," Priya Awasthi, a designer said.

     More than 50 top Indian designers are showcasing their talents at India Fashion Week ending May 3 in front of around 400 buyers, including Saks Fifth Avenue from New York, Browns from London and Maria Luisa from France. At the moment the Indian fashion industry is worth less than $50 million, not even one percent of the country's $7 billion textile industry. Vinod Kaul, executive director of the Fashion Design Council of India, the organisers of the annual extravaganza, said more investment from the corporate sector was needed for the industry to break that one percent barrier and reach a critical mass. "India has all the ingredients of being one of the power centres of fashion. That's why you have people like Michael Fink coming here. We have a great textile industry, we have a great heritage handicraft but they have to fall in together and the investments have to come in," Kaul said. India's efforts seem to have borne some fruit and many international buyers say they are impressed with daring innovations and experiments many designers had made. "I have been very excited by some of the things I have seen on the runway. I wasn't expecting to see strong street culture represented on the runway that's very exciting for me to see the contemporary bench," Michael Fink from the New York-based design house, Saks Fifth Avenue, said. More than 40 models will walk the ramp at what has been dubbed the "best platform for Indian fashion on earth".
May 1, 2004

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