Work and play

It’s still the favourite holiday spot for Indians. Stroll along the busy Baga in December and you’d feel you are in Mumbai’s bristly Chowpatty. The quieter Ashwem and Vagator are filled with the chic crowd from India’s mega cities. And yes,David Dhawan is shooting his next film there—so do expect to run into its lead actors and veritable party boys Ali Zafar and Siddharth almost everywhere you go.

A fashion week in Goa would hardly come as a surprise. With several cities laying claim to their own fashion weeks (Kolkata,Chennai… I’ve lost count,really),a Goan enterprise has been in the making for some years now. But to posit it as a resort-wear-only spectacle is a rather clever plan. The several city-specific fashion weeks have only brought fatigue to journalists,confusion to visitors and much expense to participating designer folk. Among the two major cities—Mumbai and Delhi– Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week hangs on a wing and a prayer. Designers are being hounded to participate; many say they’re even offered money to showcase here. Delhi’s Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week is supported by the fashion designers’ congregate,the FDCI,and it has the most and biggest designers as well as maximum retail representation.

Goa’s India Resort Fashion Week caters to a niche that only provides and looks for resort wear. Resort wear loosely means beach wear for escapes during the winter,and is largely,an American concept that sprung from rich socialites holidaying in the Bahamas. But with much activity in the retail industry,the demand arose for mid-season,pre-collection and resort clothes. We really can’t have enough of fashion,say retailers and consumers.

Naturally,a resort week in Goa seems to be the order du jour . In its first year,with a few avoidable run-ins with the environmental lobby,India’s resort week kicked off in a small albeit stylish way. A few established names shared space with rank newcomers. Mumbai veteran James Ferreira did some amazing things colour-blocking drapes as dresses,with seamless tailoring. Newbie Divya Mohta,also from Mumbai,showed what would be my favourite collection: beautiful prints in billowing in chic shapes. Asmita Marwah’s collection was boho and chichi at the same time,much like the Hyderabadi lady herself. Anupama Dayal channeled the global gypsy within her in sherbet shades. And Goan Ken Ferns was spot-on-trends with his sheer whites. Of course,the seats were sinking sofas instead of a front row and candle-lit tableaux a deux thereafter. You were also permitted to bring your drink from the lounge bar into the show area,this is Goa after all.

How can we avoid a beach party here? A spectacular set-up on Ashwem beach,just a skip away from the stylish restaurant La Plage,concluded the four-day event with fashion shebangs by Shantanu-Nikhil and Manish Malhotra. Dr Vijay Mallya came with Raja Dhody and stayed till the end. Sushmita Sen was cuddled by the too-young sponsor Imtiaz Khatri,and Sheetal Mafatlal outshone all the models.

Throw in a little more creativity,and India Resort Fashion Week could be the East’s answer to Miami.

( namratanow@gmail.com )