The just-concluded Delhi Couture Week was reclined little more than required towards sponsors, says K Bhardwaj
Bollywood celebrities, popular figures in attendance, an elaborate set with huge chandeliers hanging till the surface of ramp and a live musical performance…every expected bit was in place at the finale show of Delhi Couture Week yet there was something missing. Unlike the previous editions, where ace designers drew the curtains, the title sponsorship soared so high this time that the corporate vibe ruled over the aesthetics of Indian fashion. Having said that, we don’t wish to demean the high-end jewellery creations of the title sponsors, which they provided to all the shows, but going by the standards that the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has itself set for the finale shows, it was a bizarre step to let the money game rule the most prestigious moment of Indian couturiers.
The jewellery is an inseparable part of our couture and we understand how almost all designers gave so much prominence to ‘gold’ in their collections. Rohit Bal went on to mend his couture line as per the embellishment of the jewellery. The organisers enthusiastically spoke about the corporate backing during the entire extravaganza. But if all that was already happening, why the finale space was sold out to a brand and further reduced to a family affairIJ Frankly, the glitter of gold and diamonds and Chitrangada Singh’s impromptu jig (inspired by Marilyn Monroe) was marred by the wannabe attitude of the sponsors and their patrons which degraded the class and style of the Delhi Couture Week’s finale. The signoff of a couture week should not be diluted by the sponsors’ whims and fancies.
“This is a big surprise. The finale shows are a visual treat. But this time, it seems to have gone horribly wrong. From the presentation to the idea of selling last pivotal minutes to the sponsors is like corporatising the essence of fashion,” said a well-known designer on the condition of anonymity. Nonetheless, the corporatisation of fashion industry has a long history. Even the concept of sponsored-shows is not a new phenomenon. There have been endorsed episodes of established designers but the fashion and corporate was always well-segregated. So why did the organisers succumb to corporate pressure in this irreverent style where most of the designers were seen influenced by the sponsorsIJ And if that’s the new rulebook of fashion weeks, shouldn’t it be debated first and then impliedIJ
The Bollywood was already a bone of contention in the fashion island. Now if corporate, which was supposed to benefit the evolution of the industry, hogs the limelight, then there’s something to worry about!
photos Pankaj Kumar