The term – ‘Fashion Show’ or Fashion Week’ has been most ill-used in India. I have written enough on the subject – on how India has more ‘fashion weeks’ in India than the sum total of fashion weeks held in Fashion Capitals of New York, Paris, Milan and London. In India we had a fashion week named after an individual – Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week. You can read it here in my earlier post - The Term – ‘Fashion Week’ Has Become A Joke: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1gb
Recently we had a designer taking a bow twice during his show and who could it be but Manish Malhotra. Then we had a ‘Indian Fashion Summit’ where fashion designers, choreographers and fashion scribes were awarded but surprisingly I had never heard of the winners in my 15-years plus career as a fashion journalist.
And now we have a gentleman who has introduced the dirty-trick of horse-trading in fashion. I though horse-trading happened only in politics. Vijay Singh who got into fashion just because his wife – Jyotsna Tiwari was never approved by the jury at FDCI shows. He started ‘Bridal Week’ in Mumbai. This year he is doing the ‘Bridal Week’ in Delhi and timed it just before the Delhi Couture Week organised by FDCI. Singh always had an axe to grind with FDCI. Anyway the designers are poached with huge sums of money courtesy two big sponsors that back the Bridal Week. Have you ever heard anywhere in the world of a designer getting paid to do a fashion show? It happens only in India! Vijay Singh has poached the popular designers and the five biggies of Indian Fashion Fraternity are offered an average of Rupees 40 Lakhs to just participate in the Bridal Week.
No doubt the Delhi government levies Entertainment Tax on Fashion Shows. When organisors like Vijay Singh pay hefty amounts to designers to show their collection, it is something like ‘performance fee’ that showbiz people charge. Hence government is right in levying Entertainment Tax because these events no way help in establishing that a fashion show is a ‘Trade Show’.
I believe in one fashion body for the welfare of the fashion fraternity in India. But then there are many who disagree with me and believe in ‘more the merrier’. Everybody has the right to their esteemed opinion. But I think everyone will agree that it is absolutely unethical for an alternative fashion body to use the FDCI organised PCJ Delhi Couture Week to market and propagate their event. Kuch toh Sharm Karo!
At the post show party of JJ Valaya, Vijay Singh of FDPC that hosts the Bridal Week in alliance with Sahara virtually had a mini Press Conference hard-selling his Bridal Week. Vijay Singh, his wife Jyotsna, Marc Robinson (choreographer of Bridal Week) and couple of models found the gathering of media an opportune moment to plug the Bridal Week. This is absolutely not done when you are a guest at the FDCI organised event. Vijay Singh, Marc Robinson and gang could have done their Bridal Week marketing at the hotel lobby or in their suite and nobody would have had complained. But it is absolutely unprofessional and grossly unethical to come as a guest to an FDCI event and use the platform to propagate the Bridal Week where designers are lured in by mega bucks to participate.
Anyway I am not passing any judgement on FDPC or Vijay Singh’s event but I felt what happened last night was absolutely wrong. Grow up guys and show some maturity!
FDCI’s new venture – Delhi Couture Week slated for 15th-18th July 2010 has already ignited ‘Fashion Mahabharat’. The jury that primarily comprised of Editors of Fashion Glossies have shortlisted 12 names for the grand show. There are 13 more names, who would be allowed showcasing through stalls. But the fight is for the 12 slots and one name is particularly causing frayed tempers.
I wouldn’t like to name that designer but I am sure once the list is out you all will know who the bone of contention is. From very reliable sources, I discovered that the controversial name managed to sway some Editrix at the last moment to vote in his favour. Wonder who leaked the names of the Jury?
Intense lobbying is still going on and in days to come i will fill you up with all the drama. What shocks me out of my wits are those designers who think that since they sell lehengas, they qualify as couturiers. The controversial designer who managed the Prime 12 slot also claimed he made lehengas and sarees and red-carpet ensembles for Bollytown Babes. I think they should call it Delhi Bridal Week instead of Couture Week if lehengas is what we will get to see. I sincerely hope I am wrong!