LFW losing sheen

Philips has sponsored Delhi-based and Paris-made designer Manish Arora,the country’s top-selling name in Europe,to launch its new hairdryer (seriously). Arora and his team were paid to put out a fashion show here whereas independently,Arora has not shown in Mumbai for over eight years. Same with his namesake Manish Malhotra,a Mumbai-based and Bollywood-made designer,who’s almost always invited to show here with a sponsor footing his bill.

Lakme thought it had cleverly turned its tragedy to opportunity; it announced itself as a platform for younger designers since they were the only ones evincing interest. But its budgets allocated to its trump card– the Gen Next shows– are very poor. So that they don’t have to pay a professional choreographer,they invite an established designer to choreograph the show. They have been known to refuse fancy lights and props to save costs.

Very often,well-known designers are paid to attend the shows,like in the case of a Kolkata designer who decided to sit out one season as he was busy styling for a film. Last season,Lakme’s gimmick was to have a horde of top Indian designers,most of which were from Delhi’s Wills Lifestyle fashion week,flown down and put up in its five-star hotel venue,to celebrate a decade in fashion. Of course,the clutch of Mumbai designers was livid. But then,if a well-known and participating Mumbai designer is too tired to go home after a long day,he’s offered a room at the hotel,gratis ,to sleep over.

Lakme’s problem probably is that it is a one-man-show. With Anil Chopra at the helm of its affairs,the fashion week in Mumbai is little more than a private party. Of course,Delhi designers are not bereft of ego hassles and severe controversies,but at least there seems to be more accountability. GenNext designers are bickering about being “exploited”. Lakme’s outsourced corporate communications team is often apologising saying,“You know Mr Chopra.”

When this correspondent spoke to Chopra’s,he said all decisions concerning the fashion week were jointly taken by Lakme and IMG,that it wasn’t just him. But he takes it upon himself to control even the seating of all guests. This season’s finale designer Malini Ramani was not allowed to invite her guests; she was told him to give him a list and that he would do it personally.