Spaced Out

The guests won8217;t be the usual aficionados thronging high-profile art galleries, appreciating a Tyeb Mehta or an F.N. Souza.

Written by Paromita Chakrabarti

September 23, 2008 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

Art finds a place in the streets of high fashion 8212; at best, it is an intelligent foil to bling, at worst a distraction

The guests won8217;t be the usual aficionados thronging high-profile art galleries, appreciating a Tyeb Mehta or an F.N. Souza. But when the Lakme Fashion Week takes off in Mumbai in about a month8217;s time, the National Centre for the Performing Arts NCPA will be host to an art studio organised by city-based gallery Jamaat, designed particularly to give fashionistas a taste of art, up close and personal. 8220;All over the world, designers use venues away and apart from the usual ramp set-ups, and they are almost always art studios. We thought we could do it a little differently. We have commissioned a set of 20 artists to give expression to their notion of fashion which we shall put up at the foyer and the lounge,8221; says Anil Chopra, adviser, Lakme.

At the just-concluded HDIL Couture Week in Mumbai, the Grand Hyatt too saw an art lounge put up by the city-based art gallery Tao, where works of Krishen Khanna, Arpana Caur and other established artists were on display. It was at best a foil to fashion, at worst an intelligent distraction. 8220;The presence of the works helped tone down the high-octane bling and glamour at the week,8221; says Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India, adding, 8220;We had two shows every day and there was a waiting period of two hours between them. The works proved to be absorbing. In fact, when it rained in between we had the paintings insured rather than close down the lounge.8221;

International fashion has already seen a proliferation of big brands going on an art trail, with regular showings and interactions with artists in their retail space. Salvatore Ferragamo, for instance, holds regular shows at its museums in Florence, New York and Seoul. Levis has, in the past, showcased works by Damien Hirst, but this is arguably the first time that fashion events in India have come forward to collaborate with serious art spaces. 8220;The response was overwhelming, probably because it was unexpected,8221; says Kalpana Shah, director of Tao. Meanwhile, Pravina Mecklai of Jamaat says the ArtStudio at LFW could create a dynamic synthesis of art and fashion.

In fact, Sethi says, buoyed by the reception the art studio got at the Couture Week, the FDCI has received similar offers from three leading galleries in Delhi and the NCR for the fashion week next month. 8220;But since we are focusing more on the business of fashion, we would prefer to collaborate with individual artists rather than with galleries in Delhi,8221; he says.

Of course, not everybody is convinced that the collaboration augurs well for serious art. 8220;The presence of art at these shows contributes to the ambience. The works are peripheral to clothes. For serious interactions, galleries will remain the place to go to,8221; says Delhi-based artist Amitava Das, whose work The Galaxy was showcased at the couture event in Mumbai. Sethi, though, has a counter-argument. 8220;The same people who appreciate luxury are into collecting art as well. So, it is a good platform for all,8221; he says. Shah agrees. 8220;The purpose of the whole collaboration was to provide interested people with a trailer of sorts of our catalogue. We told everybody who contacted us to come back to the gallery, and many people have,8221; she says.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More

Tags: