Delhi makes a ‘fashion’ statement

When it comes to fashion, it looks like Delhi is leaving Mumbai far behind. These days most top draw designers prefer to hold their shows in the capital rather than Mumbai. Even those designers who have been loyal towards the fashion weeks in Mumbai are now keen to exhibit their creations at the fashion weeks in Delhi.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is one of the first Mumbai loyalists to have shown an interest in Delhi. “I will be showing at the Couture Week (in Delhi) and this has no connection with the Lakme Fashion Week (held in Mumbai),” says Sabyasachi.

A source says, “The Couture Week was held last October in Mumbai. People panned the week because there were more Bollywood stars walking the ramp than those sitting on the front row. And then of course Abu Jani-Sandeep Kholsa backed out a few hours before the show. But this time the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has decided to hold the Couture Week in Delhi from July 15-18. The list of designers has not yet been announced.”

Interestingly, the models are also showing an interest in Delhi because in Mumbai they lose out on the ramp because of the Bollywood dazzle.

Anil Chopra, one of head honchos of the Lakme Fashion Week, says no fashion week has imposed any condition on the designers.

“The designers are free to choose whatever they want. In the last anniversary celebrations of the Lakme Fashion week, I had 20 designers showing their stuff and 14 out of them were from Delhi. Though few years ago FDCI had imposed certain conditions on the designers, now there are no restrictions,” ends Chopra.