The fashion divide: Delhi tops, for now

Sunaina Kumar / TNN / Feb 9, 2006, 02:43 IST

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As fashion's big names decide to stick with India Fashion Week, the new kid on the block - Mumbai Fashion Week - is left with only new names, barring a few exceptions.

As fashion's big names decide to stick with India Fashion Week, the new kid on the block - Mumbai Fashion Week - is left with only new names, barring a few exceptions.
After the storm, it's business as usual now. The Great Divide of the fashion weeks was accompanied by a whole lot of brouhaha, mud-slinging, and of course, intense speculation. Finally, the wait is over, for, the battle lines have been clearly drawn.
What was being kept hush-hush is out, with the Lakme Fashion Week announcing its list of 27 participating designers. A list which has a few big names from Mumbai, but is otherwise populated by new names. So, where have all the biggies of the fashion world gone? Apparently with the FDCI. Delhi Times on the list and its gist...
The winner takes it all: As Tarun Tahiliani, board member of the FDCI succinctly puts it, "Their list makes it clear which is the original and stronger fashion week. It's all very well to promote new talent but the strength of a fashion week is derived by the best group of designers participating."

Mumbai-based Krishna Mehta, who will show at the IFW thinks that, "it is a weak list," while Rohit Bal adds, "Most of the designers on their list have not actively participated at IFW, so it has hardly been a loss to us. Just as there is only one Wimbledon and one Olympics, there is only one official fashion week."
Together we stand: The designers from the IFW camp also see this as a rare show of solidarity, that most designers have decided to stick out together. Says Mumbai-based designer Arjun Khanna, "I've decided to stick to IFW, it's about the fraternity standing together."

While Tarun Tahiliani says that it has been a heartening sight to see all the solidarity "especially as they have been only trying to oust our event. They are not in the business for the sake of fashion or trade." Designer Ritu Beri rebuts, "I opted for the Mumbai week because I think that it's professional and there's no pettiness."
Geographical divide: Does the list confirm with what has been the million-dollar question so far - that the two fashion weeks are about the great Mumbai\Delhi divide? Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of the FDCI vehemently denies this, "We have designers from all over India, including Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.
Our shows represent India and not specific cities." So, does Delhi remain the fashion capital of India? Rohit Bal answers, "Delhi being the fashion hub is not something we have manipulated. There are many more designers in Delhi, so it is something that has just happened."
Most designers though, would concede that they want to cater to both the markets. Says Raghavendra Rathore, "Fashion has no geography, it's seamless."
New kids on the block: Says Anil Chopra of Lakme, "We've always said that ours is an event that'll promote new talent along with established talent. We feel that there was hardly any space for new talent in the last six years and we want to fill that gap."
Agrees Wendell Rodricks who will also show in Mumbai, "It will be giving a chance to new talent."

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