SK Panda attends Banaras-themed fashion show in Delhi

Getting a show in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, is said to be one of the highlights of any fashion designer’s career.
It’s something many Indian designers have achieved, and that is why the fashion fraternity in Delhi has a close personal connection with Paris. Many of them have shown, worked and even lived in that city, which is why the Paris attack was one of the primary topics of conversation at a recent Banaras-themed fashion show in the city.Despite the celebratory nature of the event itself, most people were discussing the attacks and how it hit them hard that places and areas in the city that they knew well – cafes, restaurants, shopping areas – had come under attack.
Designer Rahul Mishra, who participated in Paris Fashion Week and did a show last month at the French embassy in India, wasn’t at the event but told us later, “I have a very close connection with Paris – it is the city that helped me make my international career. If I do three shows a year (abroad), two of them are in Paris. You can understand what a shock it was for me – I woke up with this news. I immediately tried to contact everyone I know there. I have more than 100 friends in Paris and for the past two days, I’ve been in constant touch with them. They replied to my messages and they are safe, but one thing that all of them wrote in their message was that they are feeling terrible and they can’t believe that this has happened in Paris. I live in Paris for months and it is such a beautiful city – no restrictions, no checking in hotels – and now everything will be different, it will change like it changed in India after 26/11. The day the 26/11 attacks happened, I was about to go to the Taj, but I didn’t because of a match. After the Paris attack, I am transported back to those horrifying memories – ‘What if I’d been there’? I have texted the French ambassador here and I am going to meet him very soon. I will also soon visit Paris to meet my friends.”
Sunil Sethi, president, FDCI, told us at the event, “I have a very close connection with France. I have always said that I owe a lot to the French embassy in Delhi; the ambassador has always cooperated with us and helped our designers showcase their designs in France. (Thanks to them) So far, four of our designers have participated in the fashion week in Paris. We are with them in this sad time.” Textiles secretary SK Panda, who was also at the event, said, “My sympathies are with the people of Paris.”