The Fashion This Week

For the last four days I have been at an event which is widely being presented as Asia's biggest fashion trade event. Eight out of ten times my eyes feel as if someone has poured molten lava into them, looking at the level of craft which out on display. If this is what is the best that the country can present than our country is seriously in creative famine.

I am aware of the tremendous pressure each designer is under to create and present a new collection each time and there are a lot of instances when someone may not be able to. Fair enough, but it just so happens that this is my tenth fashion week in the country and barring a few instances, which I could count on my fingertips of astounding talent, it has been a sad scenario.

Each season I hope that we will see some great fashion, which may not be like a McQueen or Galliano but atleast somewhere on its way? All that we can do is hope.

The Fashion Week!

It's here and it's bigger than before. For all the latest look at my twitter updates on the right. Detailed analysis and images a little later, will all be here.

Alendander McQueen: The Hooligan of Fashion

 

16 March 1969 – 11 February 2010

The man who famously sewed 'I'm a Cunt' in Prince Charles's jacket at Savile Row, the man who put Kate Moss as the world's first holographic projection - just because she couldn't be in his show, the man who was over the top but deeply inspired by world culture, the man who is perhaps best remembered for his theatrics and impeccable tailoring, the man who was pure genius is no more. Fashion has died yet again.

As words leave me, here is a look at his genius down the years:

spring/summer 2010 - Darwin's On the Origin of Species

 

Autumn/Winter 2009

 

 

The critically acclaimed autumn/winter 2008

the spring/summer 2004 show was the hit of the season; based on the 1969 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", with models duetting down the catwalk for a dance marathon. 

  

 the spring/summer 2008 collection

  

Floral embellishments adorn another unusual creation from his spring/summer 2007 show

 

The new face of lace: an ethereal, Miss Havisham-style lace gown is paired with an antler headpiece, from autumn/winter 2006. The surreal juxtaposition is classic McQueen.

  

  

  

KFW

Someone recently just told me about KFW. I thought Kolkata Fashion Week, it turns out KFW now means something else too - Kerala Fashion Week! Am not even going to begin by saying the usual yet another fashion week speech, because at this point that seems like such a rhetoric. Shocked? No. More like disgusted! I mean am all for Indian tradition and heritage and protecting the old and reviving the vanishing, but come on, this is  bit too much you'll have to agree?!

So still wondering why am venting about this ridiculous proposition? Here is a look, for your eyes only - don't say I didn't warn ya...

 

  

  

  

 

Jury? What that?

So then another season. Autumn|Winter 2010 is here and the race to the season has already begun. In the league of fashion weeks in India, today perhaps this is the oldest and the biggest at the moment. Almost every designer dreams to be have a prime slot on the seasonal schedule - which more often than not are difficult, political and ofcourse expensive. Usually there is a lot of activity at the venue; models, media, celebs, wannabe's and ofcourse the desiners all trying to put their best foot forward and viying for attention.

Usually I enjoy the fashion weeks, it's about fun, friends and fashion for me, although lately at Wills its only about Friends. The fun and the fashion has gone out of the window pretty much. And this season it seems that even the fashion is on its way out. Have just recieved an invite to the model auditions. Like each time. But then looking at the jury panel I was a bit surprised: Ashish Soni, Anjana Bhargav, Payal Jain, Vinod Nair, Niki Mahajan, Rahul Khanna, Asha Kochhar, Aparna Bahl.  Barring Ashish(who I love to bits) and Asha I don't see anyone worth their salt on the panel (nothing new). But the rather surprising addition is that of a prominent journo. Now I don't have anything against him, he is perfectly sweet guy. But what is a bit weird is that everyone knows he is the biggest fash-politics guy that there is!! And worse that instead of being free and fair is paid for and unfair!

I know that we in India love to ape the west - where there is a fashion journo on the panel - but this particular addition is just scary.

Sigh!

For all those girls who want to still come to the auditions, here is the address:

Venue: Sunil Sethi Design Alliance, 209 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase-III

Date: 2nd February 2010


Time: 1.30 PM onwards

PS: If you're coming to audition, remember to carry your lunch.