The rise & fall

Kabeer Sharma lists the dos and don’ts that the forthcoming LFW can take note of, keeping in mind the gaffes at the WIFW

MUMBAI: Here are a couple of lessons that the forthcoming LFW (Lakme India Fashion Week to be held between March 29-April 2 in Mumbai) can learn from the recently concluded WIFW (Wills India Fashion Week) in Delhi.

To give credit where its due, the WIFW has been the first true blue fashion week in India to date with designers lining up their lines in fur and showstoppers and models, going the whole hog for ‘fall’…literally.
 
While Bipasha Basu stumbled in a Gauri Nainika gown and Minissha Lamba stumbled in a sari, a model actually took a fall at the Charu Parashar show when her shoe got caught in her dress. At Rajesh Pratap’s show models stumbled and then stumbled some more —largely owing to ill-fitted shoes.

At the grand finale, models walked the runway precariously in Anamika Khanna’s line as the front row gasped each time a model walked by in heels with missing and torn straps!

Most importantly, it would be right to rope in a watch company (one of those high end ones with a prominent Bollywood actor as its face). Maybe that would help the shows start on time and avoid the hour long delays (the grand finale started almost an hour and 40 minutes behind schedule).

Also, the models need to be given an urgent lesson in professionalism—some of them seem to be under the impression that they are out for a walk in the park. But that’s understandable in the case of some international models where the fashion week looks like their virgin runway outing.

And then there are also the divas of Indian fashion to be considered…Sapna Kumar showed up for make-up for the Rajesh Pratap show 10 minutes after the audience had already been shifting in their seats—and she was supposed to have opened the show.
 
Maybe, the organisers at the Lakme Fashion Week would want to make provisions for avian visitors too—at the Delhi Fashion Week a pigeon seemed particularly keen to watch the Payal Jain show…and even gave some goodies to the second row, only unlike other designers they weren’t chocolates.

The organisers need to understand that they can’t get away with holding buyers brunch coinciding with shows of the younger designers, especially if you’re at an event that prides itself for being a platform for upcoming talent. We understand why those like Nitin Bal Chauhan were miffed.

The cue-sheets for most of the shows (including big ones like Rohit Bal’s) were all over the place—either the entries didn’t match, or were altogether M.I.A (missing in action)—as the press and the buyers flipped pages with a sense of urgency…looking to mark notes.

In the interest of the international outlook of the event, it’s important that the budgets for the male models be increased or at least be brought at par with the female models so that a better quality of models can walk the ramp, especially if we’re talking about a menswear fashion week.

And lastly, on a more personal note—while putting benches for the front row is a great move and keeps both the press and the buyers attentive, it’s a tad unfair to see that everyone else gets to sit on cushions and backrests!