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A bigger, better carnival in store
The heat is on! The much-awaited Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) 2005, being organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) is ready to roll.
The heat is on! The much-awaited Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) 2005, being organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) is ready to roll. With the biggest line-up of fashion designers, models, exhibition stalls, buyers and fashion shows, LIFW 2005 promises to be the biggest fashion B2B event held in the country so far.
Starting today at The Grand, for the next one week, LIFW will see a variety of garments done by designers from around the country through 39 fashion shows. In addition to fashion shows there will also be various fashion-related events like seminars hosted by FDCI, beauty workshops by Lakme and designer makeover sessions by Liberty. After the last show of each day, after-show parties will be held every evening. Sponsors and socialites are still in a tizzy with their party plans at various locations in the city.
At this year's LIFW, designer shows are expected to be more interesting than the previous years. According to FDCI Director General Rathi Vinay Jha, this time the Council has allowed fashion designers to use required props to express their creativity on the runway. "We have allowed them to use props to make their shows more creative. Of course, we had to reject some ideas keeping the safety factor in mind," says Jha. "Everything is in place now and we hope that the event will be a hit without any major glitches." Yet another aspect of a trade-focused fashion event like LIFW is the clear visibility of garments on the ramp. There have been instances in the past where either the overdose of coloured lighting or poor lighting has adversely affected the look of the garment. Here, usage of stark white lights will be the ideal option.
"Designers would want to express their creativity through everything, and this includes lighting as well. Perhaps, coloured lighting in the beginning and the end, with white light in the middle, will be a great idea," says Lynn Longendyke, executive producer of New York, Los Angeles and Miami fashion weeks. "As for designs, I would like to see fashion designers incorporating India in their western silhouettes." And the designers are ready and waiting. "They are anxious as well as confident," says Ravi Krishnan, managing director, IMG (South Asia). "They have become more organised. With more participation of buyers, especially those from abroad such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Selfridges and Villa Moda, there is plenty to hope for in the next one week." Are you ready for the fashion ride?
DAY 10.30 am: FDCI Seminar 12 noon: Ritu Kumar 2 pm: Rina Dhaka 4 pm: Abhishek Gupta/Nandita Basu 6 pm: ADO by Payal Jain/Freefalling by Aparna Wangdi 8 pm: Rocky S.
