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Photos: Sandeep Saxena

Autumn all From the collections of Varun Sardana and Payal Jain (right)

With the event being held for the second time at Pragati Maidan, there was surely an air of familiarity about the place. “I think we are set this time,” Rathi Vinay Jha, Director General, Fashion Design Council of India, was too eager to agree. However, disdain for time, with a few shows rolling in almost an hour late, pricked the media and the regulars.“It is badly managed,” fumed Sunil Sethi of the Alliance Merchandising Company, who remained largely unimpressed by what was on show and the organisational nitty-gritty. “The event did not offer anything exciting. We are looking for that spark,” said Sethi, who obviously didn’t find it.

At the centre of action — the two ramps — the talk for the most part remained about the wooden benches that welcomed the front row audience. With four people squeezed onto a bench, the venue resembled an over-crowded classroom and would have evoked memories of school, at least for some. If there was a wooden response to most of the shows, one knows where the blame lies.

The FDCI decision to categorise the designers into contemporary, creator and synthesis/ heritage segments, did not seem to have paid dividends. While a few designers clearly did not belong to the category they showcased under, the technical distinction between the three too remained hazy. “I think a few designers did not abide by the categories,” says Jha, optimistic that things will be better next time.

Finally, when the lights zoomed in on the runaway, there were those who believed in the spectacle and those who made their clothes speak. Tarun Tahiliani’s finesse with drapes stood out, and the show will be remembered for visual splendour. Rohit Bal’s “Ashta Dhatu” with his metal hued garments created an other-worldly feel, while Ritu Kumar attempted the unexpected. Manish Arora, with his blinding bling, went the warrior-princess-meets-Disney way and continued his hit run with the international buyers. A couple of buyers from abroad were seen opening conversations commenting on each other’s Manish Arora attire. Rajesh Pratap Singh was about understated elegance and neat cuts.

Though the collections were for Autumn/ Winter, they hardly created the wintry feel, with the exception of a few like Lecoanet Hemant and Nitin Bal Chauhan.

In terms of trends, fashion commentator Harmeet Bajaj felt no real movement on the ramps even by the fourth day. “No clear trend has emerged so far. It is pretty anarchic in nature and everyone has done their own thing. It was really, really wide in terms of prints and colours. The silhouettes were mostly straight and lean,” she said.

However, belts and waist bands were big this season. Tahiliani had his models sport LED belts with the message “Celebrating modern India.” Large pockets, slits, capes and hoods, checked trousers and boots were spotted often.

But WIFW is ultimately about the business. “There are about 150 buyers. There are 87 domestic buyers and 60 international ones and about 23 of them are specially invited buyers,” said Jha. For the first-time international buyers, it was more about getting a feel of Indian fashion, while the presence of big names in the international circuit made some others come scouting for talent.

Take Tomoko from Beams, Japan, a self-confessed Manish Arora fan. “I am here to discover new designers,” she said.It is Arora and Pratap’s show in Paris that lured Fatiha Habchr, a consultant for Henri Bendel, to India. “I am trying to convince my people to carry some Indian names at the department store,” says Fatiha. Though she found what was on show “interesting”, Fatiha believes Indian designers should stick to their strong points.

Lorenzo Hader of Los Angeles-based H. Lorenzo was clear about his requirements. “I am trying to buy a few pieces that I can mix and use there. Otherwise, there is too much bling and it is too much in your face. There we believe in ‘less is more’,” said Lorenzo who stocks Arora and Pratap.

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