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'Fashion's serious business'
Fashion is not about showing half naked bodies, it?s serious business. FTV in no way adds value to its shows, says Ravi Bajaj.
“Honestly, who sees Fashion TV? It’s either drivers or servants. It should be renamed Free Porn TV,” says fashion designer Ravi Bajaj. Bajaj believes that showing swimsuit and intimate wear is not serious fashion: “Fashion is not about showing half naked bodies, it’s serious business. FTV in no way adds value to its shows.”
Well! FTV President Michel Adam, who was in the Capital to announce the launch of a dedicated satellite for India (to ensure right timings), won’t be very happy with Mr Bajaj. Adam too plans to tone down the sex content and make FTV more India friendly, and hopes to target housewives in the morning and the college crowd in the afternoon. “We’ll be more culturally sensitive and as the new satellite ensures correct timings we don’t want sexy content early in the morning,” he says.
Interestingly there is a vast contrast in what designers think about FTV. Italy-bound Suneet Varma, for instance, swears by the channel and often watches FTV over his morning cuppa. “The channel is very current, and the best part is that it shows how international designers evolve over the years. I’m hooked on to it and am inspired by it,” he says.
Jodhpur-based Raghavendra Rathore can’t often watch FTV much though he’d want to because of poor transmission. “FTV covers a lot of parties and that’s where you see real fashion. The music at the shows they telecast is also great,” he says.
On the other hand designer Manish Arora would like more India specific content on Fashion TV. Arora adds that he hates re-runs: “Repeats really makes it a waste of time. Honestly, as a designer I switch to FTV to watch other designers and their latest collections displayed in Milan or Paris, not model gibberish. The parties that they cover don’t really have much to offer.”
Designer Ashish Soni admits he’s not an avid follower of the channel and its shows. In fact, Soni only watches FTV while he’s channel surfing. “They desperately need better programming, give user friendly advice to aspiring models. Their current format is not working,” he says.
H20 and Cue designer Rohit Gandhi has his priorities right: He prefers Trendz over FTV as the former shows past works of designers and always gives a perspective, rather than airing one show after another. “Having said that, I must also admit that FTV’s role in generating awareness towards fashion is the greatest. Undoubtedly, it is the pioneer in this field and that itself is the channel’s biggest contribution,” concludes Gandhi.
So, FTV needs to pull up its socks and get real. Maybe, the new satellite will help the channel get more sensible viewership!
