March 19,2013-As all the action ended at the Wills fashion week on Sunday, one can’t help but take a closer look to find out what purpose such fashion weeks serve- whether they are a viable business opportunity for the designers, organisers, sponsors and buyers or is it just a case of participating in a glamorous event.
Anu Shyamsundar, vice-president of leading multi-brand store Evolv, agreed with him. “Fashion weeks make sense because the entire fraternity is under one roof and we can see multiple designers, their collections and styling all at the same venue. We may not place orders at that time but the process has its first stage of inception at a fashion event. Itâs great accessibility.”
But Hemant Sagar of hautecouture label Hemant Lecoanet chose to disagree. “For me, fashion weeks are counter-productive. You cannot build your brand under the sponsorship of another brand. It amounts to negative brand-building and is a loss of time and energy.”
Supporting fashion weeks, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) president Sunil Sethi said, “A nonprofit institution like ours needs sponsors or else it won’t be financially viable. I can confirm that in my tenure, all sponsors have extended their terms twice over. When it comes to designers, I have heard the sales of new names running into over-six figures. If it wasn’t commercially viable, they would not participate. Established designers treat it as a platform to reach out to existing clients. It is a combination of business, creativity and partying that goes across the board to include designers, buyers, organisers and sponsors.”
Meanwhile, ace designer Manish Arora returned to the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) autumn/winter 2013 after four years to end the five-day extravaganza with a glamorous finale.
The show was an eclectic mix of music, fashion, glamour and videos. Arora presented creations inspired by the US’s famous ‘Burning Man festival’. It was an amalgamation of Arora’s signature styles- futuristic design, elegant showmanship and psychedelic splendour. Not for the faint-hearted, the line had standalone pieces that are collectors’ items along with chic and trendy ready-to-wear ensembles that could be flaunted anywhere from the highrises of New York to the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. “My collection has a striking amalgamation of futuristic designs. I am happy that people liked me collection,” the designer said.
