With two off site shows commencing at the fashion week in Delhi, the trend only seems to be getting bigger and bigger.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld recently showed his couture collection at an off site venue that was designed to look like an air plane. The designer earned a lot of praise for the innovative setting and the collection but our desi designers are not new to the concept of off site shows either.
This season, the Wills India Fashion Week, in Delhi will host not one but two off site shows. Day one will conclude with an off site show by Rohit Bal while Tarun Tahiliani will show his line at an off site on day two. Back home, designer Narendra Kumar Ahmed (Nari), Anamika Khanna and Rohit Bal showed their lines at off site venues.
While Nari converted the venue to resemble a local train, Rohit turned the entire area into Vrindavan — Lord Krishna’s garden and had mogra flowers scattered all over, for effect. Ask Tarun what he thinks of the two off site shows this season and he says, “The reason for an off site is to be able to use different elements that you would not manage to find at the regular venue. This off site felt right — taking advantage of the crisp Delhi weather, the show will unfold under a star spangled sky on a terrace with a beautifully lit Qutub Minar serving as a dramatic backdrop.”
However, Tarun is quick to acknowledge that off site shows are a mere novelty and don’t really serve any purpose in increasing business. “I don’t think off site shows effect business positively or negatively. It does help distinguish the brand though,” he says.
Nari opines that off site shows work best for designers who are capable of creating an ambience that speaks of their brand. “Not everyone can do it. It’s difficult to capture the imagination of an audience off the ramp. But yes, I think the trend will get bigger and bigger in the future. Earlier all couture shows commenced at off site shows — its only now that they’re restricted to just one venue,” says Nari. He adds that unfortunately designers in Mumbai have to face a lot of restrictions when it comes to using public spaces for fashions shows. Hopefully that will change too.
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