The Stage is Set

Here is how it works. The stage by itself measures 55 ft x 100 ft the Ball Room at Mumbai8217;s Taj Mahal hotel measures 54 ft x 90 ft, wh...

Here8217;s how a plush Mumbai audi will transform itself to host India8217;s fourth annual fashion week

1 The stage is 55 ft long and 100 ft wide
2 It will be extended by 32 ft 13 ft is the orchestra pit and 19 ft will be a platform
3 A 1-ft high ramp will then be built on this stage, it will be 60 ft long and 6 ft wide
4 Camera crews and photographers will face the head ramp
5 Audience will sit on either side of the ramp on the stage, its extension and the platform
6 This year8217;s arrangement can seat more than 600
people

In a departure from most fashion shenanigans, the Lakme India Fashion Week LIFW, in its fourth year now takes place in a theatre auditorium, not a heavily-chandeliered banquet room of a five-star hotel. This time the honour belongs to Mumbai8217;s National Centre for Performing Arts NCPA.

But the question everyone8217;s asking is how can a gargantuan room with a large stage and a few hundred chairs be made to look like an insular arena with an elongated runway? Fashion shows demand a certain stagecraft. The stage is small and narrow, while the runway extends as far as one8217;s eye can see and the audience sits on either side. The first row is reserved for VIPs, and the second, well, you8217;d rather be dead than incognito!

A theatrical stage is completely different. And simple. There is a large stage and a large audience that faces it. That8217;s it.

So, is the conversion from a simple stage to a complex runway and seating arrangement possible? Yes, if you8217;ve met Delhi-based set designer Sumant Jayakrishnan. This long-haired lad has worked on the first two LIFWs, the musical Jaya with Lillete Dubey and a Govind Nihalani film, Takshak. And he8217;s all set to transform NCPA8217;s Jamshed Bhabha Hall into fashion8217;s biggest destination.

Here is how it works. The stage by itself measures 55 ft x 100 ft the Ball Room at Mumbai8217;s Taj Mahal hotel measures 54 ft x 90 ft, while the Regal Room at the Oberoi, another erstwhile contender, measures 54 ft x 96 ft.

The first eight rows of seats will be removed and the stage extended. 8220;A hydraulic lift will extend it by 13 ft and the rest another 19 ft will have to be built,8221; says Jayakrishnan. A ramp will be constructed over it, while the audience will be seated on either side, with the cameras and the sound console at the head.

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Essentially, the audience will be seated on the stage! 8220;And we have 110 feet to play with,8221; laughs Zubin Sarkari, consultant with the event managers, IMG. The revamped auditorium will also seat close to 600 people, as against under-500 at the Ball Room of the Taj.

Designature

Tarun Tahiliani
There8217;s going to be a whole new range of jewelled T-shirts, we8217;re also taking it to kurtas and lehengas. There are going to be a lot of beautiful separates in chikan and quilting. All of it is evening wear but it8217;s very versatile.

Rohit Bal
This time, my line will be completely commercial and wearable. None of the drama and embellishment like before. The fabrics are
totally pure, like muslin, cotton, linen and chanderi, in unstructured separates. It8217;s a men8217;s wear collection based on folklore, yet it is very international.

Ritu Kumar
Parts of my Label collection are tropical and parts inspired from Bhutan, but all of it is based on Indian handicrafts. The traditional line has a lot of handlooms, instead of the usual aari and zardozi, we8217;re going with a metallic antique look.

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Sabyasachi Mukherjee
The entire look is about a void, it8217;s called Kora. I8217;ve used unbleached fabric, devoid of opulence and very romantic. It is a vintage look inspired by the Raj. But it has none of last year8217;s come-hither attitude. It8217;s almost spiritual

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There8217;s a lot that8217;s new at this year8217;s LIFW, but not the main sponsor. Cosmetic firm Lakme has been maintained for another three years. Every year so far, Lakme has been launching a new range of colours at the LIFW. This year they8217;ve jettisoned colour for technology. 8220;We are launching five water-based products, like lip tints and shine gels,8221; says Anil Chopra, Lakme8217;s business head.

There will also be only two designers not the usual three in the Lakme-sponsored finale8212;Wendell Rodricks and Hemant Trevedi. 8220;Wendell8217;s clothes are fluid and free-flowing, like water. While Hemant8217;s using hues of water in his colours,8221; reveals Chopra. The third segment of the finale will be a beauty show by Lakme itself. Chopra says it8217;s still in the planning stages. Also, this year, a new Lakme face will not be launched. The company that gave the country two of its biggest models Yana Gupta and Shivani Kapur will not uncover a new face.

Of course, there will be new buyers. If Selfridges is all you can think of, this year Vittorio Radice, CEO of Marks 038; Spencer, has confirmed. French couture house Celine will also be present through its fashion head.

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And there will be film-stars, socialites, models and chatterati. Thank goodness, some things in fashion never change.