fashion Fashion Are we suffering from fashion BY PRITI WeakSALIAN show fatigue?

KOMAL SOOD LFW SUMMER RESORT 2013 SHOW The fashion industry has gone from a handful of staple shows — Milan , and — to every region hosting its own. But are fashion designers, buyers and the media participating? We spoke with industry A-listers to find out how regional fashion weeks are affecting their business.

complete outfits can be anywhere from $17,000 to $34,000 CDN. Producing a Show is Expensive The main cost is fabric, developing embellishments and prints, and of course, producing the samples (which includes cost of labour), “Producing a show can cost a designer anywhere from $3,000 to finishing, overheads like sourcing, and things that are discarded,” $13,000 CDN,” says designer Pria Kataaria Puri, who’s been in the says designer Varun Bahl, whose creations are available in more than business for 16 years and has dressed glamour queens Madonna, 40 stores across Italy and Spain. Paris Hilton and Princess Françoise. “This includes money expended on models, choreographers, makeup, set designing and production,” But the investment isn’t only monetary. “If I talk about my she adds. shows, a lot of time and effort is invested in creating a high-voltage Manish Arora show that gives the audience an experience to take To participate in ’s World MasterCard Fashion Week, home,” says ace designer Manish Arora, regarded by many as the the cheapest time slot starts at around $7,000 CDN. “Depending John Galliano of India. on the designer, the cost of making a collection of an average of 30

70 ANOKHI FALL 2013 fashion then, the attendance of a crowd of buyers Are Two Weeks may not guarantee success.” No matter how Stronger Than Many? According to Zulayhka, designers much you live The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, showcasing in the earlier time slots are organized by the Council usually showcasing for the first time, or stream a show, of India, and the Lakmé Fashion Week run they’re newbies, which leads to a lack of the joy of seeing twice a year and are major trade events media coverage and buyers. “I have heard for Indian fashion designers. In the past people in the industry say that if you are clothes in motion few years, India has also hosted regional not a designer showcasing after 5:00 p.m., fashion weeks in Bangalore, Chandigarh, you might not be very good,” he adds. two feet away Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur and from you is Pune, in addition to International Fashion There’s No Need to Week, India International Jewellery Week Tell the Story on the unparalleled. and India Kids Fashion Week. Runway Anymore - Nachiket Barve “Most designers make it a point to Time and financial constraints are just attend WIFW and LFW to show solidarity “ a couple things that keep designers among the fashion fraternity,” says designer from participating in fashion weeks, but Nachiket Barve, winner of the Young designers are finding ways to make up for Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year award those difficulties. Designers Gaurav Gupta in 2010. Though Barve usually attends and Barve didn’t show at WIFW A/W both WIFW and LFW, he has stayed away 2013. “A collection may make more sense from the regional fashion weeks. “If the if it is preceded by a show,” Barve explains. media and the buyers remain the same “However, whether you show or don’t, everywhere, it doesn’t make sense to attend business takes place regardless.” all fashion weeks.” There are also designers who Similarly, other countries are dealing have replaced shows with videos and with a widespread eagerness for each city ” presentations, while others wouldn’t give to host its own show. In addition to the up showcasing their work for anything. “I Toronto Fashion Week mainstay, in Canada, have had heartwarming responses from Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary people right after my shows that have and the Atlantic cities have all begun touched me emotionally. So I definitely regularly allotting two weeks each year prefer live shows,” says Arora. Zulayhka for runway shows. “Exposure of all kinds sees the benefits of intimate, smaller-scale is great for emerging and consolidated presentations: “A huge production does designers,” says top Toronto-based stylist not mean a full house or superb sales,” he Luis Zulayhka. “Toronto Fashion Week is says. “I consider privé shows to be a more certainly a major platform for designers. efficient approach, and would definitely However, not every designer, especially suggest it to all up and coming talent.” the up and coming, can afford to be a part of it.” Fashion previews at art galleries and restaurants aren’t uncommon today. Do Too Many Fashion Such private previews not only eliminate Weeks Reduce the competition but also bring down costs. Number of Buyers? “They add a personal touch to the event where visitors can interact with each other “A focused buyer knows exactly where to and the designer as well,” says designer be at a given point in time,” says Anjali Rajat Tangri. Sharma, the designer behind leading studio But while other avenues of showcasing French Curve. “Buyers also know which can be a fun, out-of-the-box presentation, designers suit their store’s aesthetics, and for a designer, there’s nothing in the world travel mostly to the city for the fashion that can replace the pride of showcasing a week where their most-favoured designers collection at a fashion week. “No matter showcase,” Bahl adds. “It’s obvious that how much you live stream a show, the joy having one consolidated fashion week of seeing clothes in motion two feet away will indeed result in better media coverage from you is unparalleled,” Barve says. ä and attract buyers who are serious about investing in Indian designers. But even VARUN BAHL DELHI COUTURE WEEK 2012 www.anokhimedia.com 71