The week when Indian fashion grew up
After years of having the sartorial equivalent of a teenage romp, the country's biggest annual fashion event showed signs of undisputed maturity even as it attracted buyers like London's fashion hub Browns and US major Saks Fifth Avenue.
The fifth India fashion week would go down in history as the year Indian fashion grew up.
After years of having the sartorial equivalent of a teenage romp, the country's biggest annual fashion event showed signs of undisputed maturity even as it attracted buyers like London's fashion hub Browns and US major Saks Fifth Avenue.
"This time everyone seems determined to pull their socks up and just think business," said Vinod Kaul, executive director of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the apex body of the industry.
So if last year was known more sex kitsch on the ramp as female models kissed each other, this year, it was rather solemn, in spite of the odd jigs.
"Everyone is realizing that the most important thing is to sell," said Raghavendra Rathore, a prince from India's desert town of Rajasthan and one of the country's foremost designers.
"All the exotic value of the Indian fashion is wearing out, there has to be more. It's time to perform."
Perform it did. With more than 400 domestic and international buyers, the fashion week attracted intense media and buyer attention.
The limelight has not been in vain. Both Browns and Saks Fifth Avenue have picked up designers who they want to work for and have said they are sure to return.
"I'm definitely coming back," Michael Fink, the representative from Saks Fifth Avenue told IANS. "It has been as exciting as any other fashion week anywhere in the world and I am impressed."
This, even as Indian media reports have been full of complaints about inefficient organizers and shows starting late.
"I can tell you shows start late every where," said legendary fashion writer Colin McDowell, whose arrival at the fashion week this year is a sure sign of the industry increasing cropping up on the global fashion radar.
"Indian designers are as good or bad as any around the world and they should be encouraged for the wonderful work that they doing in fusing ancient traditions into modern clothes."Apart from the negative press, Indian fashion this year also managed a coup when it continued its blitzkrieg in the media snatching media space away from the on-going general elections.
"We really thought that there won't be so much coverage, especially by television because of the polls," said Kaul. "But see everyone is here."
They were there because of the likes of Kolkata's Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rathore and Delhi's very own Rohit Bal - designers whose impeccably strong sense of style impresses domestic and foreign buyers alike.
So while Browns and Saks decided to pick up Mukherjee, another London mega store Selfridges applauded Rathore, and McDowell said he loved Bal.
Last year, Rs. 25 crore (Rs. 250 million) of business was generated during the fashion week, which is estimated to grow by 25-30 percent.
Kuwaiti buyer Salah Duaij Al-Sabah alone is picking up goods worth half a million dollars. "There is big interest in Indian fashion in the Middle East," said Al-Sabah. "We think there will be such interest about Indian fashion soon around the world."
A thought surely echoed by Browns' Albert Morris who gave Mukherjee a silver and ox-tail hair friendship band because he was really moved by his show of bohemian stained and streaked garments.
"He told me he believes in me," said a smiling Mukherjee. "I told him I believe in Indian fashion."