THEY SAY there is nothing like wearing your own label to make your brand stronger and better. But our desi designers love everything from Cavalli, Hermes, Blahniks to Espirit, and seldom do they flaunt self designs. And the scene at India Fashion Week was no different.
The obsession with everything videshi, even at an event which will guarantee unlimited coverage, style gurus feel comfortable with labels that are not “made in India”. Paras Baroliya is gearing up for his show and as he puts finishing touches on his models, it is hard to miss his simple, crisp white shirt. And no, it isn’t by him. “I love Abraham and Thakore, as they just do the most beautiful things effortlessly,” he says. Most designers who will do anything to promote themselves and their collections, surprisingly don’t want to wear a design that they are showcasing.
Not far behind is Vikrant of the label Virtues who was seen wearing Gap. “We do-n’t do menswear, so it was natural for us to go in for easy-to-wear foreign bra-nds,” says Vikrant. Gaurav Gupta’s shirt too caught everyone’s attention. It was a broken jug placed on a biker back ganjee by German designer Seelenklied. “I like anything that is a bit eccentric and this was just up my street,” says Gaurav.
But there are a few who are not trapped by anything foreign and embrace swadeshi, like Ranna Gill who was wearing her own haute pink dress and Rohit Gandhi who wore a black button down shirt with brown threadwork. “I love my own clothes. There is no better platform than this to let people know what you are designing, and this pink number is from my latest spring-summer 2011 line, says Ranna, who wore a coral ruffle silk dress on the opening day, and a grey, navy cotton number on the second and third day she dazzled in a draped blouse with blue jeans.
Renu Tandon was not far behind as she wore an animal print tunic from her line, but soon succumbed to the sinful pleasure of a cool Swarovski T-shirt from Turki. “I try and wear my label as much as I can, but then you need to be at your stalls the whole day meeting buyers, and so comfort comes first,” she adds.
Anjana Bhagav is also a lover of everything summery, so she opted or a pintucked white Marks and Spencer shirt and she has a valid reason for doing so. After all she neither has a stall nor is she showcasing her line this year. “We just came to see a show, so I wore the first thing that I could lay my hands on, she adds.
Even as Nida Mahmood is often seen in her kitschy bags with Raul for company, a few sticklers of the design and wear rule include Poonam Bhagat who likes her Miro-inspired floor-length dresses, even as she navigates her way through the gigantic venue. “It is not about comfort, I am the biggest brand ambassador of my line,” she adds with a smile. We agree, Poonam.