From Indian designers Rohit Bal to Raghavendra Rathore, Ashish Soni to Malini Ramani to international biggies like Valentino, Poleci and even Christies, they are all hitting the city today!OK, while we do know that this city of ours is hip, happening and all big brands love us but this comes a tad unexpected. At a time when the big, glitzy metros are raising toasts to Fashion Weeks, back home this is nothing short of a designer frenzy. In fact the invites arrived back to back. Come Tuesday, October 7 and Chandigarh will see not just leading Indian designer wear up for grabs but a chance for the city’s fashionistas to get a feel of international biggies. Here’s the who, what and where of it all.A trunk show : If you like the way the swish set dress up in Europe, here’s your chance to look the same. The ladies can drool over bags that the likes of Catherine Zeta Jones and Lindsay Lohan swear by. For coming in at the Taj on Tuesday will be the iconic American luxury handbag brand Judith Leiber along with international brands such as Poleci, Christies and Argentovivo as part of a one-day trunk show. Bringing them in is Sangeeta Assomull of the Marigold group. “I have heard so much about Chandigarh, its well-heeled fashionable crowd that we feel it’s time we brought a trunk show like this,” remarked Sangeeta who finds it a unique way to introduce people to global fashion. So what can one lay hands on? “Apart from a stunning collection of evening clutch bags in crystal by Judith Leiber, there will be Poleci’s collection in luxurious satins and lurex along with statement pieces in silver grey along with detailed sequin halter neck tops and sheer chiffon blouses, complimented by beautifully tailored skirts and trousers,” she says. Also on the racks will be formal and evening wear by Italian biggie Christies and a lingerie line by Argentovivo as well as Les Copains’ most recent Autumn/Winter 2008 collection. A nose for fashion apart, make sure you carry a fat wallet along!Take the fiest row : With a name that says it all, First Row, a Mumbai-based outfit spearheaded by Radhika Dhawan and Nupur Mendiratta, promises to get you access to collections of some of the leading designers in the country. “Till now one had to head to the big cities to lay one’s hands on labels by Ashish Soni or Gaurav Gupta or Gauri & Nainika or even Rohit Bal. Instead with this show we are bringing the designers to your doorstep, quite literally,” explains Radhika who finds that even designers want to tap unexplored markets. Well, with their first show the two chose Chandigarh. “It’s a discerning market with tastes for the best,” tells Radhika who also brings with her Raghavendra Rathore, Rohit Bal, Shantanu & Nikhil and Valentino. The range on offer will include collections for men and women, Western to Indian wear, and also accessories. “There will be a selection of sarees, lehengas, salwar suits, dresses, menswear, shoes, bags and all over cookies and coffee and at special prices,” smiles Dhawan who will put up the show on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hotel Mountview.
