Support System

At the end of designer Ankita Bhargavs show at the just-concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week,nobody talked as much about the collection as about the pebble-strewn 80 feet by 8 feet runway.

At the end of designer Ankita Bhargavs show at the just-concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW),nobody talked as much about the collection as about the pebble-strewn 80 feet by 8 feet runway. During the show the models had lumbered down cautiously on the rough marble blocks,specially bought from Kota . Even though Tamara Moss,who opened the show,tripped before regaining composure,the enthusiastic cheer for the set designer,Sumant Jayakrishnan,indicated that it was a huge hit with the audience. We tried to create a Zen garden with flowers in the backdrop. So the marble chips and the pebbles were brought in, says Bhargav,23.

While internationally,the focus of fashion weeks is on keeping the attention on clothes,in India ,most shows are incomplete without some amount of props to deliver theatrics on the ramp. Designers spare no expenses to mount a spectacle with quirky props (including human ones) and art installations. Props can look quite refreshing if it is done smartly. We all love Guddas (Rohit Bal) shows,not just for the clothes,but for the great atmosphere he creates, says socialite Ayesha Thapar,a regular at fashion events in India,referring to Bals penchant for doing up the ramp with organza petals,chic lighting and real flowers.

This years event saw the runways prepped up with quirky chairs,cabinets,and even pillars. While Ranna Gill had a huge chandelier by design house Klove,Gaurav Gupta roped in little-known artist Akshay Rathod for five 7 feet X 3 feet light boxes with collages of red checks juxtaposed with images of a model,to go with the theme of his collection. They added a punch and never outshone the outfits, says Gupta.

At the grand finale by Rajesh Pratap Singh,the sets were jazzed up by Jayakrishnan with sheets of unfinished muslins tacked together. The models entered from opposite ends (instead from the centre) and stomped down cracked steps on to a runway,put together with wooden boards with nuts and bolts visible on the surface. The show was about work-in-progress,so it made sense to go for such a look, says Singh,who got singers from Delhi-based Artists Unlimited to sing Us and Them,towards the end.

The days of the bland fashion shows are over. Designers are also artists and theyll do everything to tell their story through their clothes. The props serve to take the theme forward, says designer Nida Mahmood. Her show,titled Sadak Chaap saw a burly guy sitting at the ramp entrance ,getting himself shaved,while an antique radio blared in the background.

Surprisingly buyers from the West seem to be enjoying the spectacle on offer. I am a regular at fashion weeks in Paris and New York but the energy in India is missing elsewhere, says Tomoko Inuzuka,of Beams,a Tokyo-based boutique.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
lucknow
talk

Support System

At the end of designer Ankita Bhargavs show at the just-concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week,nobody talked as much about the collection as about the pebble-strewn 80 feet by 8 feet runway.

At the end of designer Ankita Bhargavs show at the just-concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week,nobody talked as much about the collection as about the pebble-strewn 80 feet by 8 feet runway.