Musings of an India Couture Week attendee

Musings of an India Couture Week attendee

Aug 4, 2022 - 13:30
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Musings of an India Couture Week attendee

“Excuse me ma’am, this seat is reserved for the media. May I request you to move further down the row please?” the PR executive politely addressed a hapless influencer who had arrived late and lost her designated spot to another person of her ilk. “But I’m media too, no? I’m giving you coverage as well. Why would you invite me if there was no place for me to sit?!” pat came her reply. The scene of this exchange is the finale show of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) India Couture Week (ICW) 2022. One of the many grand ballrooms of the Taj Palace hotel in Delhi has been converted to a circular ramp awash in hues of red for designer Anamika Khanna’s showcase, and this scene keeps me entertained as I wait for the show to begin. Fortunately, unlike the media-PR fiasco of the last FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week in March this year, the team is well-prepared. Before long, a separate bench is produced and the influencer is seated next to the main man himself – Sunil Sethi, the Chairman of the FDCI, who graciously waits till everyone has found a seat.

Anamika Khanna at FDCI India Couture Week 2022

It is no mean feat to organise an event of this scale for fifteen years running, the last couple of which were digital. From bouquets to brickbats, warring factions to theatrical boycotts, the FDCI has had its fair share of drama over the years. Yet this time, the drama stayed on the ramp. Aiming to make a royal splash, the usual five-day event was stretched over a period of ten days. While most shows were hosted at the hotel venue, some were organised as offsites where the invitations were fewer, though the revelry remained high.

ICW opened with Tarun Tahiliani’s show at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he served up traditional Indian-wear in pastel hues with delicate embellishments. In contrast was the next day’s offering of Paris-returned Rahul Mishra who displayed his floral-sequinned gowns and lehengas at the French Embassy. Design stalwart JJ Valaya was next in line with a show at the JW Marriott in Aerocity which focussed on the beauty of India’s craft traditions.

The weekend’s fashion frenzy led to a break day before regular shows began in earnest at FDCI’s chosen venue of Taj Palace hotel. A central location, spacious setting, gracious hosts, and eagerness to return to a pre-pandemic materiality, ensured a packed house for every show. Varun Bahl, the darling of the fashion industry, kicked off the week with his sizeable exhibition of floral lehengas, gowns and skirts.

Varun Bahl FDCI India Couture Week 2022

The next day saw Anju Modi’s experimental presentation where the audience walked through the hall to view different segments of her travel-inspired collection; as well as the structured artistry of Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna who sent out their well-crafted sets on an Ankon Mitra origami stage. Dolly J and Suneet Varma shared their heavily embellished refinery on traditional silhouettes; Siddartha Tytler and Falguni Shane Peacock chose to be experimental while staying true to their own style; Kunal Rawal pushed the boundaries of menswear and Amit Aggarwal of women’s; and Anamika Khanna provided an edgy oomph that tied it all together.

The tremendous diversity on display was not limited to the clothing. Formats of presentation, sets, music, accessories, and the length of shows differed from designer to designer, with the only common thread being the opulence of their offerings. Sethi explains the reason for this, “When it comes to weddings and other related events, lots of people have been inspired by ICW over the years to wear things that are different from traditional garments. This is because designers have effectively used this platform to cater to a younger audience. They have explored new colour palettes, materials, and silhouettes that haven’t been seen before.”

However, simply designing avant-garde clothes is no longer enough to attract paying clients. All sorts of histrionics must be adopted for this purpose. A handful of influencers across modes of life are dressed in the designer’s wares, paid to visit the shows, and share exclusive footage on their social media handles. Designers with heavy sponsorships pull out all stops to show their guests a good time. Gift bags adorn the seats of cash-heavy labels (though one designer couple chose to leave only the media seats out of this gifting fray!), the guest lounge serves the best of cocktails and hors d'oeuvres followed by a lavish dinner, photographers roam the halls for the sole purpose of clicking beautiful attendees, and it all culminates in an exclusive closing dinner to which only a select few are invited.

In addition, celebrity showstoppers are used as crowd-pullers. Interestingly, a study of the celebrities on stage offers a glimpse at the personality of the designers too. So, where Varun Bahl astutely aimed to widen his reach pan-India through his choice of Rashmika Mandanna of Pushpa: The Rise fame; Anju Modi chose the elegant Aditi Rao Hydari to send the message that couture is about respecting tradition.

Rashmika Mandanna and Aditi Rao Hydari at India Couture Week 2022

For Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna’s first ever couture show, the bold and confident Malaika Arora was the perfect showstopper as was the charming, but decidedly old-school Shilpa Shetty for Dolly J. Siddartha Tytler juxtaposed the old and the new by inviting both Punjabi pop sensation Guru Randhawa and well-respected Farhan Akhtar to don his clothes, while Falguni Shane Peacock chose ‘it-girl’ of the moment Sara Ali Khan. Kunal Rawal highlighted comfort in couture by requesting close friend Arjun Kapoor to walk the ramp, while also displaying his agenda of inclusivity in menswear with digital creator Santu Misra and the children of stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania representing different sizes and ages.

Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan at ICW 2022

Anamika Khanna’s finale showstopper choice was perhaps the most unusual. Actor Rajkummar Rao has long-been lauded for his choice of experimental roles but rarely for his sartorial ones. Yet this was the very reason why she chose him - to represent the idea of an experiment.

Rajkummar Rao at ICW 2022

Many believe that fashion week in general and India Couture Week in particular, is an archaic institution whose days are numbered as a younger audience looks to save the planet and prefers simple comfort dressing for all occasions. I had plenty of time to ponder on this as I waited for shows that were invariably delayed upwards of an hour. By Day 10, I came to the realisation that for many people, ICW was an opportunity to display a side of themselves they may not ordinarily show the world. Its fixed duration ensured they could observe trends on and off the ramp, while looking and feeling glamorous, before returning to the exigencies of daily life. And so, on Sunday night, I too left the hotel with a slightly heavy heart – a feeling akin to when a close friend’s wedding comes to an end. ICW may have been envisioned as an event to observe sartorial styles and pop culture trends, but its biggest triumph is bringing the community of fashion lovers together.

Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.

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