Stage Craft

“I have always been an environmentalist and a fashion designer,but today I’m here only as an environmentalist,” smiled Goan designer,Wendell Rodricks,who turned out a finely tuned Kunbi tribe collection,in a blend of cotton and silk,with woven and knitted textures.

Jasleen Dhamija,the lady who has been working hard to revive the phulkari,was at hand,fawning over the designer’s achievements,even before the show started. “He has given a lot back to his state and today he has made the humble check sari of the Kunbi tribe a thing of pride,” she said.

A large part of the collection comprised crinkled cotton kurtas and pyjamas for men,floor-length gowns in nutty browns and ecrus,stylised saris with burnished blouses and handkerchief dresses.

Hard Sell

Designer Ritu Beri hardly ever shies away from the limelight. The Delhi designer was recently awarded the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government,and the former protege of embroidery maestro François Lesage,was quite obviously thrilled with the recognition. “I do believe Paris is my destiny. It was meant for me,” she gushed. On the opening day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW),therefore,she mounted her own retrospective,celebrating 20 years in fashion,inundating the runway with black and white poufy,frilly extravaganza. The show had a high-school prom vibe to it,with models walking out in tight black blouses,skirts puffed with layers of tulle.

Model Jesse Randhawa hoofed down the ramp in an elaborate pink gown,adroitly balancing the enormous train. Showstopper,writer Shobhaa De,62,did not pass the chance to market her latest literary output too: she walked out in a black and white tie-and-dye sari,brandishing her latest book Shobhaa At Sixty.

Seen And Heard

“The Birkin has become too common,” sighed Faiza Samee,Pakistani designer,as she clutched on to her brown one,adding,“everyone has one these days,it’s not like before,when they were a rarity.” Sitting next to her,another orange Birkin-toting lady,Tanya Ahuja,a Delhi-based socialite,agreed. “It works so well as a carrier bag though,” she cooed. Salloli Kumar,yet another socialite,interrupted,“It’s an ugly bag,look at my new one,” she enthused,pointing at her zebra-print Versace over-sized handbag that matched her top to the last stripe. Art collector Aarti Sarin Jain,togged in designerwear,pushed the case of the sari on the other hand. “People are too lazy to understand how to wear a sari. I was in one yesterday but who else wears saris properly?” she asked.

Two Much

The Donna Karen red dress almost out-did the earrings,but not quite. The emeralds,100 carat each,were quite the talk of the fashion week,when socialite-turned-art collector Nina Pillai attended designer Wendell Rodricks’ show. “The two earrings together come to 200 carats,” Pillai trilled proudly. But she was quick to add that she does not splurge on luxuries like these that often. “I am the kind who will give her last dollar to a charitable cause,say,for instance,for the situation in Haiti,” she said as she tugged at the 100 carats in her left ear. “Why Haiti even,we have dengue,chikungunya right here in Delhi. We need to have an initiative. But then,you know how things work at fashion week. You have to be dressed up properly,” she shrugged.

Pillai,accompanied by her two sons,Shiva and Krishna,(“They are here as my bodyguards,” she joked.) did have a grouse about the venue though. “I know lots of people who are turning down invites,not because the venue is downmarket but it’s too vast. Not the kind of place for a lady to come all dressed up,” she laughed.

Fashion Ambush

The fashion-minded were in for a rude shock as cricket commentator-turned-fashion quizmaster Gautam Bhimani had seven designers and fashion editors in knots over Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta,Bronx-born fashion icon figuring at the 60th spot in Forbes Rich list,with a $350 million worth posthumous wealth. Bhimani prodded the participating designers— Gaurav Gupta,Rahul Mishra,Ranna Gill,Anupama Dayal,Priyadarshini Rao,Anand

Kabra and Poonam Bhagat— with erudite questions,much of which went unanswered. At least the crowd knew Gwen Stefani from Lady Gaga!

Party Pooper

The wall-to-wall drunken fashion parties,so characteristic of fashion week in Delhi,seem to have been given a miss this year. The Indian paparazzi was hard-pressed on celebrity sightings. Divya Gurwara,CEO of Bridal Asia,restaurateur Ramola Bachchan and Nina Pillai were spotted at Wendell Rodricks’ pre-show party at the Chivas lounge.