What season is it anyway?

It’s not a complaint, but a mere observation that designers are increasingly paving their own path to what they think will result in more business for them, writes Sujata Reddy.

It’s not a complaint, but a mere observation that designers are increasingly paving their own path to what they think will result in more business for them.

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Shyamal and Bhumika’s collection on Day One at the Lakme Fashion Week Spring Summer '10, for instance was not even remotely Spring/Summer, with velvet as the dominant factor.

Some male models sashayed in velvet dupattas teamed with velvet churidars and kurtas. An all-velvet ensemble. Some argue that a designer is permitted creative liberties and that Shyamal’s show was a simple diversion, while a few say that it is the need of the hour.

Hemant Sagar of designer duo Lecoanet says he’s going to display an Autumn/Winter line at his show today. “I don’t want to waste my time in forecasting trends but would rather create for the upcoming season,” he explains.

“I think Shyamal did the right thing because the festive season is just around the corner and buyers would prefer to stock for the moment than just place orders for Spring-Summer, which is six months away,” he states. The Autumn/Winter line that Hemant will put up was conceptualised a year ago and is already available in retail stores. “Now it’s time to retail it in a big way,” adds Hemant admitting that he feels like a fashion fighter. “I’m going to urge the board to rethink its strategy of designing for a prospective season,” he says.

However, one retailer, on the condition of anonymity, said that not sticking to the season and doing your own number on the ramp is absolutely disgusting. “The designer should adhere to the theme and take creative liberties by showing garments for the present season in his or her stall,” she offers as a solution.