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International fashion rules Indian ramps, models go
for fuller curves
New Delhi:
Indian models at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion
Week here have admitted to following international fashion
dictates as the anorexic look is making way for fuller curves
and lithe bodies. With western garments dominating the fashion
week this year, "skinny" made a definitely strong appearance
during many shows. Many of the international buyers and critics
looked concerned about the 'thinness' on the ramp after the
recent controversy surrounding anorexic models. The issue
of size zero models has dogged fashion shows around the world
after two anorexic Latin American models died last year, and
has been under the international spotlight during the spring
fashion season in New York, Milan, Paris and London. "Well,
actually I think the international scene is getting very uptight
about very skinny models. But, I think India is a little behind,
our models are still skinny and I think that we need to catch
up. If they are going to do fashion for the West, then our
models need to put on a few kilos. The look over there in
Europe, I have just come back from a Germany where we has
a fashion festival, it's curvaceous, beautiful, and a well-filled-out
women. In fact, there are special shows which are a big hit
for super sizes," said Meher Castelino, a renowned fashion
critic.
Madrid last year
banned models with a BMI below 18 from taking part in fashion
shows. BMI is a measure expressed as a ratio of weight to
height. A BMI limit of 18 means a 5-foot-8 inch model must
weigh at least 120 pounds (54 kg). While the Italian Government
and its fashion chiefs signed a pact to keep sickly thin girls
off the catwalk, Britain's Culture Minister David Lammy called
for 'stick-thin' models to be banned during London Fashion
Week. However, Milan remains the only city of the four world
centres of fashion -- the others being New York, London and
Paris -- to enact an outright ban. Despite months of controversy,
models on the ramp continue to be stick thin with designers
featuring them on the runway. Fashion insiders feel that there
is still time before curvy figures dominate the catwalk. "It's
been heavily into the anorexic look if I can call it that.
I don't think it is that easy to wipe out. I don't think in
one season your designers are all of a sudden going to say
'we are going to change the shape of our clothes'. I think
at the end of the day this is business, how their clothes
can look the best on the ramp. And if they want a clothes
horse, then they bring it in," said model Kamal Siddhu, who
has done Indian as well as international fashion shows.
The Council of
Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, has even recommended
models with eating disorders seek treatment, young models
work limited hours, healthy food be supplied backstage and
smoking and alcohol be banned. In an attempt to take diet
and fitness into account, the venue of the ongoing fashion
week in New Delhi, the Hotel Ashoka has organised a special
menu for models by introducing low-cal options to substitute
regular food. Cholesterol-free butter, vegetable and fresh
fruit juices, multi-grain bread, cheese and loads of greens
formed an important part of the food buffet. "I could say
it's not the designers but the industry but there's no pressure
in the Indian market really... Girls are eating everything
believe me! I have seen them eat well and train well. It's
not many of them who actually say I'm going to starve myself.
I have never seen that happen here... I have seen that happen
abroad but never seen it happen here," said Sahil Shroff,
a model from Mumbai. The fashion world has been debating the
issue, with many designers and models shrugging off concerns
that ultra-thin models encourage eating disorders in girls
and young women. "Well, basically the thing is that it's very
difficult to drape a garment on someone with too much, too
many curves. It really is a headache... it's a nightmare.
Whereas if you have these girls who are totally flat, you
just sort of put the garment on them and it falls or drapes
beautifully. Thus we have this thing about skinny models,"
said fashion designer Rehane. Singer RuPaul once sang, "It
don't matter what you wear/ They're checking out your savoir
faire/ And it don't matter what you do/ 'Cause everything
looks good on you." That is the unfortunate reality of the
fashion industry... everything looks better on a bone rack.
And because of that, nearly 10 million girls and women suffer
from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia in the United
States alone. -Mar 25, 2007
Retro accessories make their mark at India
Fashion Week
New Delhi:
Bags, shoes and jewellery made a huge splash on Day Four
of the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week here on
Saturday. It saw visitors give the fashion shows a miss and
make their way to the business centre where many of the designers
have put up stalls. Here also, accessories dominated everyone's
attention. With gold and silver being favourite colours this
year, Amrapali's jewellery was an interesting mix of everyday
wear pieces and cocktail designs that consisted of chunky
stones set in silver and gold. One of the new collections
was inspired by Mughal architecture with ornate shapes and
styles making a beautiful contrast with geometrical patterns.
Bags saw the return of retro funk with a lot of bling thrown
in. The return of plastic was visible as was a definite shift
to make designs look Indian.
Several designers
were inspired by the rich heritage of the country, incorporating
prints from temples onto bags. "The collection is basically
inspired by the fifties and sixties, the retro colours toasters,
basically the plastic element of the fifties and sixties colours.
I have used plastic hangers and knits and everything, which
is very prevalent. I have also got elements of pop-art and
op-art which were also taking off at that time," said Shalini
Gupta of 'What's Pink' in Mumbai. Shoes also saw a flash of
retro, but most styles were influenced by the designs being
worn on the international ramps. "Basically the collection
has been a bit girly, a bit vintagy... sort of inspired by
the Hollywood pin-up girl..... We have used a lot of metallic
colours and a lot of deep colours like aubergine and olive,
deep brown and yellow," said Zeisha Jaffer. Her designs were
a refreshing combination of womanly and girlish, retro and
modern, maintaining a high level of wearability and comfort.
Visitors seemed impressed with the designs and many buyers
placed large orders with the designers. "I really want accessories.
I am not looking for very clichid kind of stuff. I don't want
tacky, I don't want that kind of thing. I am looking for interesting
jewellery like semi-precious, a mature market, nothing tacky.
I have seem something by a women called 'Mahadevia'... some
of her bags... basically incorporating Indian workmanship
as well," said Dorothy Smith, a buyer from London. Over 80
international buyers from 19 countries and 100 domestic buyers
are taking part at the Fashion Week this year, also boasting
the highest ever participation of 87 designers. Indian fashion
design industry is worth 1.8 billion dollars, growing at 20-30
percent in the 35 billion dollars global fashion market.
-Mar 24, 2007
JJ Valaya says his creations are high on
the 'wearability' quotient
New Delhi:
One of India's top fashion designer J J Valaya, who is showcasing
his creations at the Wills India Fashion Week, has said his
line could well connect with the audience as they are high
on the wearability quotient, trendy yet classy. "It has everything,
right from corduroy, silk, handloom. So, lots of experiment
and that was the whole idea. Make great clothes, beautiful
clothes, excite the audience, everyone in the audience wants
to connect to the garment and wear them. So, wearability is
on a very high quotient," he said. Valaya unleashed a glittering
array of his exquisite work on traditional Indian garments
at the event. For women, Valaya presented fusion silhouettes
in black and other colours. For men --western shirts with
motifs ruled the ramp. Rina Dhaka, Indian fashion's ultimate
funk queen, came up with a collection, which she said was
light and wearable. Dhaka is best known for her theme collections.
Her collections scored on detailing and essentially depicted
a predominantly strong forecast of dark colours in style and
glitter. Other designers who showcased their collections were
Krishna Mehta, Shantanu and Nikhil. Over 80 international
buyers from 19 countries and 100 domestic buyers are taking
part in the Wills India Fashion Week this year, also boasting
the highest ever participation of 87 designers. Indian fashion
design industry is worth 1.8 billion dollars, growing at 20-30
percent in the 35 billion dollars global fashion market.
-Mar 24, 2007
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