Indian Bangla Film Academy (an NGO, which works to promote films and culture across the border), in association with the Egyptian Tourism Department is planning a fashion gala at the Tahrir Square in Cairo to mark the anniversary of Egyptian Uprising on April 8, 2013. The proposal has go the nod from the Egyptian government, which will be part of the celebrations to mark the coming of age of the country, following the 2011 revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The Desi Designers who had been shortlisted by the NGO Indian Bangla Film Academy are undoubtedly the designers from Bengal and of course the filmy ones. The selected ones are Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Agnimitra Paul, Wendell Rodricks, Manish Malhotra and Rocky S.
Top designers from Egypt will also take part in the event, and their models will also sport clothes created by the Indian designers. The other unique factor about this fashion show is the 2.5 Kilometer long ramp. The organisers are aiming to create the world’s longest ramp and representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records would be present to verify the record.
Hope you guys are aware that now we have a Resort Wear Week – India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW). The first one just concluded on the 11th of this month in Goa. A Resort Wear Week in Goa is virtually unthinkable without Wendell Rodricks. But the first ever IRFW was conspicuous by the Goan designer’s absence. Nobody came up with a sound enough reason till a good friend of Wendell’s told me the main reason behind the designer’s absence. The stumbling block for Wendell Rodricks was the IRFW venue – The Grand Hyatt Hotel at Bambolim, Goa.
The Grand Hyatt in Goa opened sometime in August this year. The hotel has flouted Environment factors and that is more than enough for Wendell to boycott the hotel or anything happening in the hotel. Wendell is passionate about Goa and is active in issues that affect the environment of the beach paradise, be it illegal mining and haphazard construction. The other issue is the fact that the Grand Hyatt is owned by Shahid Balwa, the man tainted in the 2G scam.
In fact Jairam Ramesh, the former Environment Minister and currently the Minister for Rural Development skipped the Thinkfest jointly organised by Tehelka and NDTV at The Grand Hyatt in Goa for the same reasons – the hotel flouting Environment norms and its scam tainted owner, Shahid Balwa.
Hats off to Wendell Rodricks and Jairam Ramesh to Walk The Talk!
The bi-annual Lakme Fashion Week was losing sheen with not so great designers showcasing their work. But the lineup of designers for the Winter/Festive 2011 edition of Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai seems impressive and being a Delhi-ite I am only too proud to say that the sheen is added by Delhi designers.
Rohit Bal is doing an off-site show at the Winter/Festive 2011 Lakme Fashion Week. This doesn’t come as a surprise because Bal was inducted in the Team of Advisors of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) last year. He is also on the Board of Fashion Designers Council of India (FDCI). What comes as a surprise however is the participation of senior Delhi designers who are (or were) in the Board of FDCI that holds the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW). These designers are JJ Valaya and Rina Dhaka. Wendell Rodricks lately became a regular at WIFW and many say that Rodricks had a fall out with LFW hence the new found loyalty with FDCI. Well Wendell Rodricks too is showcasing at LFW this time besides other stalwarts like Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Narendra Kumar.
Though the friction between FDCI and Lakme is currently at its minimal state, there’s no denying that there exists a shimmering rivalry between the organisors of the two fashion weeks – WIFW and LFW. Major poaching and lobbying takes place like alluring designers with sponsored shows and what not.
Now we also have a new Head of Fashion at IMG Reliance post the exit of former MD of IMG Reliance, Ravi Krishnan. Anjana Sharma, Director-Fashion at IMG Reliance seems to be a team worker and I have heard only good things about her till now.
Now that the Lakme Fashion Week has got an impressive lineup of shows, I sincerely hope that they also improve on the business aspect of the fashion week and not forget that Fashion Weeks are essentially Trade Shows and not Bollywood Tamasha. Heard that the business aspect has been rejuvenated too. Well I will reserve my opinion on that till the week gets over!