Who you calling chic?

In the 1980s and early 90s, fashion shows were parties with an added dose of glamour to promote a brand and for sponsors to make big bucks.

The Chivas Fashion Tours are a hark-back to the Eighties when fashion shows promoted liquor, and trends were few and far-between

In the 1980s and early 90s, fashion shows were parties with an added dose of glamour to promote a brand and for sponsors to make big bucks.

The Chivas Fashion Tour 2008 which commenced last night at the ITC Grand Central, Parel, is barely different. Call it the curse of a country that is forever navel-gazing at its past or the imagination brought out by creative heads of Chivas that sees its alcohol as stimulation for imaginative designs, we can now savour the essence of the bygone era.

Chivas, who is a sponsor at all the big fashion events in the country, like the India Fashion Week, Lakme Fashion Week and the India Couture Week, are trying to stamp their brand value in the world of fashion. Bikram Basu, VP-Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, says, 8220;We have been associated with fashion weeks for long. But the fashion tour is different. Unlike the other fashion weeks, the individual consumers can immediately buy off the shelf.8221;

Chivas Fashion Tour8217;s multi-city format has brought together 15 of India8217;s well-known designers8212; Ashish Soni, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Deepika Govind, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Mandira Wirk, Malini Ramani, Raghavendra Rathore, Rohit Bal, Shantanu and Nikhil, Varun Bahl, Vikram Phadnis and Wendell Rodricks-who will be touring across the country. Starting Mumbai, the designers will then head to Bangalore, Kolkata and New Delhi before the finale on November 22 in Dubai.

The three-day long Mumbai leg began with Rohit Bal presenting a line inspired by Ashta Dhatu8212;a combination of eight different metals. Karan Johar, the face of Chivas walked the ramp for Bal and later, a Bal-style party was held at Dragonfly, Mumbai8217;s newest watering hole.

For Vikram Phadnis who is showing his contemporary collection in Mumbai and Dubai, the tour is going to be kind of a party. 8220;It is the most relaxed fashion events of the lot because of its format and it is not stressful like the other fashion weeks.8221; Dubai-based designer Ayesha Depala who is participating in the event for the first time, too feels that this is a carefree atmosphere to showcase clothes.

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But veteran designer Wendell Rodricks who will be showing at Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai has taken this tour in all seriousness. This is the most important outing for him this year. 8220;I am not showing at any of the fashion weeks this year and that8217;s why this one becomes very important to me. I have invited all my buyers here,8221; he says. Rodricks, whose signature style is all about ancient India but with a relaxed Goan attitude has created a range of cocktail dresses and evening lounge wear. 8220;My collection is named Romantica and I have used soft pastels with fewer embellishments and lots of bows, frills and ruffles which is unusual in my collection.8221;