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DCW IN A NUTSHELL
Karmik Varma | July 28 2010 11:46:15 AM
The first ever Couture Week in Delhi wasn't without its baggage of controversies ...something that the Fashion Design Council of India has learnt to live with, more so in the last one year. Be it the first day of the HDIL India Couture Week (Oct 2009) getting canned off due to Abu-Sandeep going irate on getting lesser front row passes, or the first day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (March’10) being called off due to fire permit problems.
The organisers of the, originally called, Pearls Delhi Couture Week were in for a rude shock on day 1 when the Pearls Academy of Fashion were successful in getting a stay on the title of the event by moving to the court on grounds of misleading identities. Thanks to them, DCW was promptly re-baptised as, funny as it may sound, Pearls Infrastructure Delhi Couture Week! Obviously, the FDCI had to make numerous calls and spend many monies to get the physical branding changed at various collaterals including print ads, outdoor, MSA backdrop, online, everywhere...
FDCI’s woes did not cease here, the only off-site show, that of Rohit Bal at LAP in Hotel Samrat was a poolside set up. But apparently, there were permission problems again and it was almost certain that the show will meet a watery grave. But lo, along came Messiah Mr. Sethi and flexing his political clout, he did manage to get a go-ahead, much to the delight of the audiences! All this sometimes makes me feel if this is for real or a scorning set up by the so called nemesis-es of Mr. Sethi?
The Grand, Vasant Kunj served to be a fair venue. There was only one Main Show Area (MSA) and shows were well interspersed with some of them having time intervals of over 6 hours! Reason – the sets were apparently too grand and the production team needed enough time. I see, but doesn’t the FDCI see what it does to people who come from far off distances. Where would they be for all these hours? But then a smart bloke gives an unofficial quote – “Dude, Tarun’s (Tahiliani) Bridal Expo is just next door (DLF Emporio), and it’s all been planned in a way so that crowds can visit both events!” Smart move, must say...just not considerate enough! Not to mention, why do we need such theatrical sets if the clothes are truly grand, especially when they are causing interminable delays?!?!
The Couture Week surely was taken for a ride by two designers clearly – Anamika Khanna and Pallavi Jaikishan. Both showcased pieces from their previous collections. Anamika from the Couture Week in Mumbai in 2008 and the Lakme Grand Finale in 2009 while Pallavi from the Couture Week in Mumbai in 2008! Pallavi was unabashedly repetitive, with the set and the mannerisms of air kissing and conversing on the ramp by the models. Clothes were ditto too!
Others like Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi, Suneet Varma were typical. JJ Valaya, Gaurav Gupta, Varun Bahl, Rohit Bal, Abu-Sandeep, were impressive. Rina Dhaka and Raakesh Aggarvwal were average. The show stealer by far was Manav Gangwani with a breathtaking collection and a kick ass guest list comprising some strong contenders in Bollywood like Zayed Khan, Kunal Khemu, Soha Ali Khan and more.
Overall, the energy levels seemed average. Delhi big wigs like Kalyani Chawla, Tanisha Mohan were present only for a few shows. Kavita Bhartia remained absent throughout while Tina Tahiliani came in only for two shows. Alka Nishar of AZA and Anil Chopra of Lakme were, however there practically everyday while Kimaya’s Pradeep Hirani came in for the weekend.
In a nutshell, the first ever Delhi Couture Week has its highs and lows, but quality and professionalism seemed to be going haywire on more than one instance. FDCI will have to iron out quite a few seams before it turns this one into a more holistic event.
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THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY
Karmik Varma | July 12 2010 11:46:15 AM
While the cowboy whistle may still be ringing in your ears, this one is about summing
up critical analysis that has been underway in the last five days of the second
edition of the Chennai International Fashion Week. The foremost
achievement on which I would like to congratulate the producers is that the event
was conducted as per schedule, which is funny but all of a sudden has become cardinal...thanks
to the postponing of multiple fashion events in the past six months!
From an entertaining fashion event, to an event of more serious nature, CIFW has
certainly matured this season. A fashion week is all about buyer-designer exposure
and the association with Kimaya was a positive step in this direction. All showcasing
designers will be exclusively available at Kimaya Avenue for the next fortnight-
a great move indeed. The inclusion of the menswear day seems like a copy cat manuvoure,
straight out of the Lakme Fashion Week. Yet it worked. We are not complaining.
Then I saw the models being paid off immediately after the grand finale show, a
great morale booster and goodwill earner which has definitely set the stage for
longer associations. I did not see the choreographers complaining either, so my
surmise is they were sorted too.
The three choreographers – Liza Varma, Rahul Dev Shetty & Loveil Prabhu
have certainly made the backstage proceedings much smoother. Yet shows
were delayed by a good 90 mins which came across as extremely unprofessional. Anywhere
abroad or even in Mumbai & Delhi, this would be highly unacceptable and led
to a mass boycott!
Many thought that partnering The Hindu, the premiere newspaper of Tamil Nadu would
have backfired as the other big dailies would not capture the event then. Then again,
the sceptics were proved wrong- especially when Chennai Times covered everyday of
the CIFW. Those who've heard the word 'medianet', would know how big an accomplishment
this is!
The areas needing improvement were three fold – The overall content needs to be
more quality oriented. Designer collections have to be screened and a strict quality
check has to be maintained. Allowing trash to be shown on the runway is not fair
to anyone – the non-showcasing designers, the media, the audience nor the buyers.
A process-based jury armed with certain eligibility criteria is what Stylekandy
recommends to Mr. Sharma.
The look and feel of the host Venue can be much better. The MSA needs to have a
higher ceiling, a must have for getting the lighting in place which is by far the
most crucial element for a fashion show! Le Meredien as a hotel is extremely hospitable
and cordial, but I have a feeling that CIFW will soon grow out of it. It continues
to be held at the Meredien purely due to the lack of alternatives in Chennai, a
situation which is fast changing. One of them will have to make a choice, soon!
Sponsors at CIFW have done well to support the event. But liquor being denied or
served with limited choices or washing machines being kept on display at a fashion
week are not adding any value to the event. I still wonder if selling tickets can
make all that money to be able to sustain a fashion week by itself one day! Surely
then the corporate bigwigs will have some thinking to do.
Now that they know the Good, the Bad and the Ugly; we sincerely hope that the coming
seasons can help Chennai evolve into a fashion conscious city from a city that is
sleeping on potential content. The next one will be in early November, for now it's
good bye Chennai!
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WHY CHENNAI?
Karmik Varma | July 11 2010 11:46:15 AM
A perpetual question I
have been facing is that apart from Stylekandy.com, why is the Chennai International
Fashion Week not getting PAN India coverage? Or for that matter, international coverage.
The answer is a question that I want to ask to all those perturbed by the situation
- Why do you come to Chennai when you want PAN India coverage or, for that matter,
international coverage?
While it pegs itself as an 'international fashion week', we all knew that it's a
regional event, only in its second season and held to create fashion awareness in
the potentially fashionable southern city and enable designer-buyer interaction
to facilitate the growth of business of fashion here. A Neeta Lulla, Archana Kochhar,
Masaba Gupta, Lecoanet Hemant and many other big names who have been consistently
showing at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai and in Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week
in Delhi are here to break the ice in Chennai and its adjoining regions. Not to
gain publicity in Mumbai and Delhi!
Of course if CIFW crosses boundaries and reaches the media in the other three directions,
it's a bonus and we all would like it earlier than later. But should that be the
moot agenda to showcase in this city? Of course there is isolated coverage that
has been popping up every now and then in tabloids and dailies nation-wide and the
web, but is that a staple pre-requisite?
It's a known fact that the south treats itself as a country by its own. Owe it to
the strategic location or to the polarised cultural differences and language barriers...the
fact of the matter remains- There has been a pertinent void, and not just fashion-wise,
between South India and the Rest of India which CIFW is successfully bridging!
Let's not overlook the fact that unlike other recent fashion endeavours that have
been postponed or cancelled; CIFW has sustained most of its commitment of holding
a five day fashion event in the city. Rome was not built in a day...but it still
stands far and wide today. Chennai is in the making too, unless the people behind
the fashion week let the complacency bug bite them!
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SHOWSTOPPER CALLING
Karmik Varma | July 09 2010 11:46:15 AM
Yesterday when I enlisted
the 'firsts' that Chennai International Fashion Week has to its
credits, I quite conveniently forgot to mention the 'baap' of them all. As if the
act of ushering showstoppers had not drawn enough controversies in the past, CIFW
has managed to give us a new one - calling out the name of the celebrity before
he/she walks out! Blokes and babes, this is really funny.
I mean, imagine all the hullabaloo about keeping the name a hush hush thing till
the end, going to extremes, willing to kill to let the name remain concealed. And
then suddenly when the suspense is supposed to end, you stab the surprise straight
in the heart by announcing the name! Which f***k (I mean 'freak') would want to
do that?
Now I am really controlling my laughing spasms here...but isn't a showstopper a
showstopper because everyone known him/her anyway. And if not, then why not have
someone whom the Chennai audience can relate with. Someone who they have watched
while slurping the curd rice in the basics or the riches of their homes!
I mean, what the hell is an Arjan Bajwa doing on a Chennai ramp
anyway. Even an Arjun Rampal would manage only a lukewarm response
here. Or for that matter, a Mrinalini Sharma. A southern siren
or a desi anna would have made all the difference here...and lo,
they would come cheaper too! After all they all stay in the city, air fare and five
star accommodations would not be needed then....
I remember Gaurav Sharma of Storm Fashion saying - "We may be late,
but we are the latest." It impressed me. Then I was blown over by his choice of
words again - "Chennai is HOT. We will make it HAUTE." Nice, but announcing the
showstoppers name is certainly not haute, Mr. Sharma! Let the crowd anticipate and
be surprised. Let them react naturally. It will be a reality check for them all
- the designers, the media, the audience and even the high nose showstopper. Next
'to do' - getting myself a security cover (LOL)!
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PUBLIC FUNDING
Karmik Varma | July 08 2010 11:46:15 AM
Partnering a fashion week had its own burden of baggage. It's not always easy to
speak your mind and get away with it. So while my last blog may have fetched me
more enemies than friends in the CIFW organising committee, I am willing to push
my luck to the limit (it's amazing how I sound like a wounded soldier here trying
to wage a lone battle, trust me, it's not intended! LOL)
Chennai International Fashion Week has quite a few firsts to its credits. Some good
some bad... First one to be staged successfully in a virgin market like Chennai.
First one to successfully live up to the 'international' tag by getting foreign
designers to showcase. It is also the first one to go public, selling tickets to
the 'mango people' and empowering them to witness the fashion shows makes the fashion
week a more B2C affair.
Now many may contest that this is against the norm. It pokes fun at the concept
of fashion weeks worldwide. It demeans and defeats the entire purpose...blah, blah,
blah. Which is true, if you go by the bookish definition of a fashion week in Paris
or Milan or even London and New York. Wake up Sids, this is India. I mean, even
in the biggest fashion weeks here, the buyers quotient is really minimal and limited.
It is now a known fact that in India, fashion weeks are means to gain media mileage
and build a brand, which ultimately leads to business.
So is this is a good move? I am still trying to figure it out. But it certainly
is not a bad one. Answer this- in a city where fashion buying is still at a premature
and nascent stage, how many buyers could you possibly invite? In a city where filmstars
are themselves fashion conscious, how many celebs can you really expect to show
up? And in a city where fashion media is practically non-existent, how many media
houses can you call to report?
Now consider this – if getting yourself known is all that is on the agenda of the
designers, why not get as many eyeballs as you can manage right into the Main Show
Area? If media is not going to take fashion to the masses, why not get them to it?
If designers are not going to make instant monies, why not make them more accessible
to do so?
Morally, you may take your own stance, but practically what's feasible will work.
Who knows, Chennai will have started a new trend and in a decade, sponsors will
be needed no more! Fashion is for the People and the People may end up funding it!
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NEED CROWDS? TRY GOOGLE!
Karmik Varma | July 07 2010 11:46:15 AM
wonder how it would feel reporting Live from Chennai on an electronic channel, adding
all the melodrama and trying my best to stick to the dialogue and script that successfully
tries to sensationalise the proceedings at a din. They would have surely said -
“You’ll find more people in pictures on Google than here at the second edition of
Chennai International Fashion Week!” Guess what? I agree...
Amidst much negatives,
Gaurav Sharma of Storm Fashion Company has pulled it off. Sceptics believed that
this season may never see the light of the day, it will get washed away like the
current lands of Punjab! Kudos to Gaurav for making it happen, yet somewhere between
takeoff and landing, CIFW seems to have gone off course.
We did have Charu Parashar and Rehane along with Rinku Sobti and Gunjan &
Rahul who have pulled off very creative and entertaining shows on Day 1. Apart from
Rinku, the other three have had filmy showstoppers too, but nothing seems to have
worked for pulling in the crowds. Forget designers. Models walking into empty spaces
have been an uncomfortable feeling too. So the reasons are three fold.
One, CIFW seems to have forgotten the basic principal of making a great product
and then investing time and money on marketing it. Hoardings, campaigns, print ads
and much more were simply ignored. The city has just slept over meaningful content.
Two, Rains are playing spoil sport. But this was well anticipated. This is exactly
the reason why more effort should have been put into marketing and promoting the
event. In fact, one perennial and chronic challenge that CIFW will face in both
July and December is the weather. Both seasons will remain overcast and heavily
clouded and it has to be dovetailed in. Three, being a weekday, it was always expected
to have thinner turn outs. Better attractions need to be created to get around this.
Bigger designers have to roped in. The show schedule needs to get more formidable
in nature. A fashion week will always have atleast two pure weekdays, thanks to
the globally followed English calendar, yet stronger content always get on top of
days and dates.
My idea here is constructive, especially looking at the young talent that is showing
over the next four days. Hopefully, the din will not undergo any more relegation
and transform for the better.
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THE GREAT VIVEKA TAMASHA
Karmik Varma | June 30 2010 11:46:15 AM
So she killed herself, but what if we can make it sound like a murder? Sure that’s gonna fetch us more eyeballs and generate sky rocketing TRPs than a darned suicide note! Which is why it was important that a casual remark from the Police about finding a different finger print be blown out of proportion...don’t you guys get it?
So Kartik Jobanpatra, her ex beau was present at the cremation along with her ex-ex beau Rohit Jugraj. But her current boyfriend, Gaurav Vohra, the stock broker who has suddenly become a household name (do hell with it even if it’s for the wrong reasons!) was absent in the last rites. Now it is apparent to us that the man is legally scared to make a public appearance, but why should we let that impression reach the masses. To them, we need to project him as the culprit guilty of a crime and hence absconding. This is the only way to let the remote take a power nap...don’t you guys get it?
So her mother came on Sunday from Mauritius, as soon as she could. Along came her two sisters. But none of them were wailing away to pain. Sure they were weeping, but there weren’t the typical howls or the beating of the chests! On meticulous interrogation, we realised that the family is extremely spiritual and has managed to absorb the reality and have soothed themselves in the fact that her rebirth will be more meaningful than the life she has just given up. But we can’t just report the truth as is now, can we? A bit of Karan Johar meets Subhash Ghai with Yash Chopra needs to be added to make her look like a Tragedy Queen...don’t you guys get it?
So at the prayer meeting in Juhu earlier this Monday, it was requested that no footage be captured and no photos be taken. In India, media is extremely creative. I mean, when we can ‘create’ Breaking News like it’s no man’s business, we can surely climb the periphery of the security walls and get our shots. Whoever thought polite requesting and a pitiable situation would make us sensitive towards the deceased of the same species was so wrong. After all, amusing one part of the world with the other half’s problems in what we do best...don’t you guys get it?
So many of us were friends with her, being in the corporate fashion media domain you see. Yet we decided to skip the ceremony since the overcast clouds in Mumbai terrorised us to death. What if there would be another 26/7, even though it wasn’t raining since morning and it was already 5 p.m. The snarling traffic could have choker blocked us, delaying us for the Beautiful party later night...don’t you guys get it?
So names like Vikram Phadnis, Rohit Verma, Queenie Singh, Shamita and Mashoom Singha, Achala Sachdev, Aditi Gowitrikar, Sanea Sheikh, Mughda Godse and many more offered their prayers for her soul to rest in peace. Of course we were there, but not to pray. We were there to ask our favourite Question - “How do you feel on her miserable death?”...don’t you guys get it?
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Great Show i really liked
the way you have put your point accross...What is more interesting is Media writing
against Media...
Well each one
of us, even if we are against the issue of media interference in someone's personal
life, end up talking about it in some way or the other (whining about the sensation
or being scandalised about the issue)....
As always...You have created
magic with your power of words again :)
What a perfect picture
of the business and we have to suffer with non news
Leave the dead alone you media ppl. And her boyfriend
too.
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