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Buzzing for the biz

It's raining designers and buyers. But does the dose match the prescription? As one of our two fashion weeks opens this Tuesday, ANUJ KUMAR puts things in perspective

WOOING LOLITA A model sporting a Rocky S outfit from his `Lovely Lolitas' collection that will kick-start the Lakme Fashion Week

As the Lakme Fashion Week opens this Tuesday in Mumbai one is reminded of the metaphorical dark cloud. If every cloud had a silver lining, the shadows that enveloped Indian fashion in the last few months over two fashion weeks in the country, this has two.

Suddenly it seems somebody has hit a fashion hive and designers are running amok to land on a ramp. If India Fashion Week is boasting of some 80-odd designers, Lakme has managed to bring together 30. The numbers are baffling for a country where designers contribute negligibly to the apparel industry. Mind you there is no overlap. Survival of the fittest will take time to set in; right now every one is enjoying the new found attention.

Secondly, finally most have realised business is supreme, glamour and entertainment would follow. And that calling India your market doesn't take the gloss away. Result? The tale of two cities no longer interests them. Delhi-based designers are showing in Mumbai and Mumbai-based ones are queuing up in Delhi. And those who are in other parts of the country are picking and choosing according to the market they want. If for Bangalore-based Deepika Govind Delhi makes business sense, Delhi-based Mandira Wirk is looking at Mumbai as the target territory. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the poster boy of Indian fashion from Kolkata who made it big courtesy the then Lakme India Fashion Week (now called Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week) has switched sides for his buyer is coming to Mumbai. " My main buyer Browns is coming to Mumbai. It was because of their promotion that Vogue put me in 100 things to buy in the U.K. Fashion business works two seasons ahead. Already we have an image of being unprofessional and laidback, I didn't want to accentuate that."

Payback time

For Delhi-based Ashish Soni who moved to the big league last year when he showed his collection at the New York Fashion Week has moved to Mumbai simply because the New York Fashion Week is also organised by IMG. "I have to show again there in September and you can't do it without the support of the organisers." If sometime back the organisers were busy wooing designers with carrots ranging from participation for up to three designers in IMG-organised fashion weeks to significant cut in participation fees for outstation designers now the focus is on buyers.

Though FDCI has yet to release its list, here IMG seems to have taken the lead. Apart from the Browns and Fifth Saks Avenue, which have been regular fixtures over the years, the company has worked overtime to bring in some new global players. Claims Ravi Krishnan, Senior Vice President IMG, "We have moved beyond Michael Fink. Harvey Nichols, Tracey Ross, Lord and Taylor and CK Tang Limited would be here for the first time. Plus, we are bringing in senior media representatives from style.com, Hearst International, Financial Times and Fashion Wire Daily."

Then who is going to buy in Delhi? Rathi Vinay Jha, Executive Director, FDCI confirms the participation of 90 domestic and 70 foreign buyers but is not ready to reveal the names. There are little chances of overlapping here as well. Ashish says, "Domestic ones can attend both but I don't think international buyers would be able to take out so much time." Sabyasachi adds, "One participates in a fashion week because of international buyers. Domestic buyers are just a phone call away."

Take your pick

Interestingly, some of the designers wanted to participate in both the weeks but allegedly they have not been allowed to do so. Says Falguni, "I wanted to show in Delhi as well but my money was returned. I am not okay with the idea of fellow designers judging my work." Similarly, Sabyasachi and Suneet Varma's attempts to participate in both the weeks have been nixed. "I could not have waited indefinitely. At one point I thought of quitting both the weeks. I could not figure out how do they award solo shows. In Tennis, they provide you a wild card on the basis of your performance in the last few months. Here everything goes by seniority and ranking," laments Sabyasachi. Refutes Jha, "We could not have fitted all of them in the slots available to us. We have given opportunity to those who have not been able to show anywhere." Here the logic seems a bit misplaced for you can't dump those who have taken India fashion to international forums to provide space to newcomers.

Though Ravi insists one needs one good Week to become a household name, for now, LFW doesn't have too many designers to keep the foreign buyers interested. Even names like Manish Malhotra and Ritu Beri, who is interpreting the Lakme's fashion statement "Happy Hour", are good enough to attract the local media but they hardly make business sense. Manish is showing for the current season and Ritu Beri has hardly done prêt. "I am not interested in putting a stall. I am just doing the finale," was her refrain when asked about her return to the Fashion Week after five years. Silver linings are indeed there but the happy hour is yet to begin.

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