Style of two cities

It was a fashion face-off. The last few weeks saw Indian fashion come out in full force in the nation’s top two cities. While Delhi hosted the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, Mumbai shook it up with the Lakme Fashion Week.

Even though they had a common goal – promoting Indian designers and their contemporary wear collections – they had different agendas. While Delhi’s catwalks were awash with new names at a new venue, Mumbai, the land of Bollywood, did what it does best – it brought out the celebrities.

Not to be outdone, Delhi did the same, with a twist. The capital saw a change of venue, from Pragati Maidan, a sport complex that doubles as a venue for exhibitions. They moved to the Hotel Intercontinental Eros in the heart of the city. Of course, the traffic was a nightmare but the hotel came alive with designers such as Priyanka Dhanjal, a recent graduate of the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). She showed off a well-received first collection in browns, dusty oranges and ochre. And while Piya Nayyar’s menswear garnered praise, stalwarts like JJ Valaya pulled their weight by getting 1980s actors such as Kabir Bedi and the elegant Dimple Kapadia to strut their stuff in their designs.

Meanwhile, Ashima Leena’s collection was highlighted by the child stars from Slumdog Millionaire, who paraded a couple of her special pieces.

As Delhi stayed local, Mumbai went global. Mai Mumbai in Marathi was a glittering evening of international supermodels and designers who strutted for a charity that will help those affected by last November’s Mumbai terrorist attacks. So it came as no surprise when the crowds gasped as Naomi Campbell walked down the runaway in a glittering black and gold sari by Sabyasachi. It was Mumbai’s way of saying, “we’re back in business”.

The success of Indian contemporary wear can be attributed to a number of factors, including globalisation that saw the launch of India Vogue in 2007, greater spending power and brand awareness, but most of all, to the stringent standards that NIFT has managed to maintain.

India’s home-grown talent has yet to make a global presence but it is no longer unusual to see a smattering of Indian designers at international shows. For example, Manish Arora’s autumn/winter collection debuted at the Paris Fashion Week this year. Whatever the case may be, contemporary design with Indian flair is here to stay.