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Kochi says hello to FTV

Hari Anand's collection `Karma' brought FTV to Kochi and made fashionistas sit up and take notice, writes PREMA MANMADHAN

PHOTO: MAHESH HARILAL

RAMP SCORCHERS Designer Hari Anand takes a bow with the models at the Karma show.

The BIG show began sometime around 8.30 pm but the excitement began early, when car after car sailed through the open gates of the Taj Malabar, offloading the best of beauty and clothes in cosmopolitan Kochi.

From the foyer, one could see a mini fashion show of sorts unfolding as the invitees trooped in to see the `Karma' collection, the mother of all fashion shows, Sunday last. The Hari Anand - Patti Stren show, FTV's maiden shoot in Kerala, went like clockwork, with nary a discordant note, the overcast skies changing its mood and exposing a crescent moon and a few bright stars, to the relief of Cochin Backwaters Round Table, the energetic organisers of the show.

The flamboyant collection, 80 designs in all, was a judicious mix of the traditional and the mod.

In 40 minutes flat, the 16 models had briskly displayed them all, thanks to Gautam Pavate, choreographer.

The gayathri mantra petered off as the model catwalked on the extra long ramp, all of 80 ft, keeping to FTV standards.

The chenda notes lent that majestic feel, adding grandeur to the show, while the models' feet played second fiddle to the rhythmic fusion music.

The breeze, the air of expectancy, the lavish drinks and the delicious chicken, potato and paneer tikkas kept the 400-odd guests happily waiting for the show to begin, while the sumptuous dinner and drinks after the show, was a proper finale to the great Sunday evening.

"The effort brought us closer to our aim of educating one million illiterate children. We got Rs. 1.75 lakhs, which will be given to Round Table India," says Rakesh Ramachandran, the convenor of the show, who was involved with the creativity part of it.

Model Shahwar Ali walking the ramp in a `Karma' shirt.

Dead tired but delighted at the happy ending, (actually the beginning of another leg of the Freedom Through Education Project) he confided that he did pray hard that the rains might stay away.

Good show

Hari Anand, the designer and the little seen hero of the show, is now deluged with deals. "Many buyers have approached me. People from the Middle East are also here, and I have got enquiries from UK and Italy," he gushes. He already exports his collections to New Jersey.

There was an Oriental twist, (New York illustrator-writer Patti Stren's cartoons were printed on imported Chinese silk) to his clothes too. The technology of getting the cartoons printed on silk was through support from NIFT, Bangalore. He has used DuPoint crepe, chiffon and silk for the collections apart from things like coconut buttons for that ethnic effect. Some of the garments that were on display are available at Hari's store `Glada' in Kochi.

The Round Tablers walked about in stylish DuPoint crepe white shirts with a bold imprint of a Patti Stren cartoon sitting pretty on their chest.

More such shows are in the offing, in neighbouring States as also Kerala, Hari says. Karma Show had Ford India, Samsung, Taj group of hotels, Josco were the sponsors with The Hindu Metro Plus being the media partner.

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