Show Your Schtick

Ashish Soni,a seasoned designer,board member of the Fashion Design Council of India and India’s first label to showcase at the prestigious New York Fashion Week,broke our collective hearts. His entire collection,right from the first look to the last,triggered a sense of déjà vu. Soni had been hugely inspired by two of the most famous labels in fashion,French houses Christian Dior and Lanvin.

Right from the first look,each piece was a reminder of past heroes. Dior’s Bar jackets,Belle Epoque-style grande robes,giant bows (Christian Dior called it the most natural ornament of a dress),darts,belts and buttons (Dior’s favourite manner in cheating proportion) and his signature pleats,were on unabashed display. Soni’s glittering dresses with beaded embroidery harked back to Alber Elbaz for Madame Lanvin.

Plagiarism is the bane of fashion industry. Intellectual copyrights for logos and trademarks still hold in a court of law (the famed Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Louboutin fight over red soles from last year,or Gucci and Guess’s legal tussle for interlocking Gs). But how does one lock in a look?

Our favourite high-street shops — Zara,H&M and Forever 21— are adored for knocking off runway trends. But a fashion designer to be so obviously inspired by another one is not only unforgivable,it’s also professional harakiri. Even in India,where the industry is new and fashion weeks are still groping at various ideas and ideologies.

A designer can himself be a successful one when his look is instantly identifiable. His signature style — and an original one at that — is what separates from being just a maker of clothes.

You can recognise an Abu-Sandeep ensemble almost instantly. Or even a Tarun Tahiliani’s. Both these designers

are masters of elaborate embroideries,especially the chikankari,but their differences in styling and silhouettes are equally

visible too.

A Shahab Durazi outfit is unmistakable for his loyal fans. Rohit Bal’s excesses in embroidery and volume make him the legend he is. Even Adarsh Gill’s European sophistication is her schtick. Sabyasachi’s several detractors say he rarely moves from his jaded zari leitmotifs,but in them lays his strength.

In India’s very crowded and disorganised bridal scene,it is these designers who manage to stay at the top of their game solely on the strength of their stamps. The others simply fall into a blur.

It is the younger designers that we look to these days to learn the most from. Classmates Aneeth Arora and Rahul Mishra both work with handlooms but are as distinct from each other as is possible. Masaba Gupta,just a few years old in the business,has made her characteristic prints easy to spot. Both Arjun Saluja and Dhruv Kapoor approach minimal,monastic and androgynous clothes so differently.

Soni’s black-white collection showed off his tailoring in tuxes,jackets and gowns. He also had fun with trompe l’oeil polka dots. But presenting a show after a hiatus,and with all the occasion a finale demands,excuse us for wanting more. Much more.

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