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Journalism of Courage
Shahab Durazi? That8217;s the designer whose show was the talk of the town last week?
Yes, that8217;s right. He held a show aptly called Elegance is an attitude8217; at the Oberoi8217;s Regal Room last Sunday. n And why was there so much hype over his show?
Because Shahab, who is known to be the czar of classic elegance, had not held a show last year. Which is why his phone did not stop ringing, with people asking for extra passes.
quot;I like the simple, clean look. I never deviate from this and that8217;s what I am about. But there are subtle changes from my last collection.quot; This time his collection had a lot less embroidery. He feels women are now looking for cleaner and simpler clothing. He also used a lot of soft fabrics like chiffon. One major change was that he showed sarees for the first time. quot;I love sarees and have been selling from Ensemble for over a year now. Clients kept telling me I should include them in myshow.quot;
His event was one of the last shows of the season, why did he wait till December?
quot;My sponsor Longines wanted this to be the finale show of the season.quot;
Talking of Longines, a lot of watch companies have been sponsoring fashion shows. Why is that?
quot;I do not know, Longines approached me. And it suited me as they have a similar image to mine.quot;
Does he think shows have become an excuse for socialites to party?
quot;Not my show. I think people really come to see the clothes, especially since I do not hold a show every year.quot;
How involved is Shahab with the organising of the show?
Very. In fact, he is a stickler for detail. He hand picks the models, and he met with event management company Shobiz and Hemant Trevedi the choreographer eight times prior to the show, checking every detail.
He has quite an eye for detail?
Yes, he even had shoes especially made for the models. quot;The wrong shoes can kill an outfit.quot; He even made taffeta belts and forcertain outfits had handbags made.
Sounds like he might diversify into accessories?
quot;I would not mind if I had the time.quot;
But why is he so busy, he does not take orders, right?
quot;Yes, he does not do made to order, he prefers to sell off the rack but he will make repeat pieces, and overseeing all his alterations personally.
What about doing a pret line?
Shahab has always done a pret line but so far has not had a separate show for his diffusion line. quot;I sell my pret from April to September, as in summer people tend to buy more pret.quot;
So, he believes in value for money?
Most certainly. quot;My designs should last one season. They should be in your wardrobe for a lifetime. I am always happy to see women wear clothes I have designed five years ago. So much effort goes into each piece.quot;
But he must admit his clothes wear a very heavy price tag?
quot;Not at all. Each garment takes so much work that8217;s why they might seem expensive. But I always take care to give mycustomer value for money.quot; And let8217;s face it, good quality is priceless.
And does he think his garments are flawless?
Well, he certainly tries to ensure that. Shahab admits to one weakness: Zippers. quot;You cannot get good zips here and I did import a lot of zips but I cannot keep getting them from abroad.quot;
Shahab, for many years, was called the Armani of India, does he mind that tag?
quot;My clothes are nothing like Armani8217;s. We may have the same approach. That8217;s it. I really admire Armani, though. I think when I told the media this they coined the tag Armani of India, but this is wrong as our designs are totally different.quot;
Would Shahab like to sell his clothes in the land of Armani?
He says that he is looking at selling in London. quot;I am in no hurry to have shows abroad as 90 per cent of the attendees of designer shows abroad are of Indian origin anyway. And most of them come here to buy.quot;
