She said it so simply, forthright and with
conviction. And in a single burst of rhetoric she had uprooted all my fashion fantasies
and beliefs. Not that I was an expert on fashion. But, like most fellow citizens, I was
given to believe that Indian Fashion had finally arrived, like Indian curry had toppled
Fish and chips from its long standing reign as Britain’s national dish. But
hadn’t fashion managed to crawl out from the back pages of glossies to occupy more
respectable front page space? Weren’t the Prasad Bidappas hosting fortnightly columns
on fashion happenings in the city tabloids? And didn’t all the pretty looking Vermas,
Corners and Lopez’s swoop down stairways and ramps flashing flesh and fabric
to ‘invitees only’ designer wear launches? And to top it all, didn’t all
the who’s who in Indian fashion scream for industry status at the ‘India Fashion
Week’ in September? If all this doesn’t point to a vibrant and happening fashion
fraternity, I may be forgiven for assuming so. |
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Well like someone said, if you want to know about the making
of films and the industry, you either speak to the director or the easier alternative,
talk to the gurus at the FTTI, Pune. Today, still the only Institute of repute in an
industry that makes the largest number of films in the world. The FTTI faculty are the
persons who mould the directors. So for an overview of the Fashion Industry, I thought
I’d meet the people who were responsible in moulding the J.J Vallayas and the Rohit
Bals. That’s how I met Kavitha Saluja, the articulate and focussed Chairperson of
NIFT. The first lessons were harsh as she meticulously got to discussing trends in design.
There’s so much of art and design in our villages in various genres like weaving,
pottery etc which haven’t changed much over the ages. Like terracotta for instance,
here designs remain more or less the same while in the west it is about designing
terracotta for microwave baking. That’s the kind of improvement we require. Which
means a lot of time and effort and of course people with similar dedication.
Its surprising to note that, the small clutch of reputed designers are still to make a
name in the west. Other than gracing the odd society columns of Indian newspapers, India
has yet to create international brands. Loads of work has to be done in the area of
marketing. Though much fanfare was made at the India Fashion Week with the launch of ready
to wear collections, it has yet to take off. Mass appeal with attractive prices are the
key words here. Two things Indian designers have failed to achieve till now. While ready
to wear brands with international names are having a field day, it is strange that Indian
manufactures have not come forward to collaborate with the designers or vice-versa for
creating clothes with traditional feel, mass appeal and affordable prices.
Remember, big names like Pierre Cardin and Louis Ferro were forced to close shop here,
even in a posh city like Delhi. Purely western designer wear has yet to get a foothold
here. It was not the pricing. Its just that those designs don’t go down well with us,
says Kavitha.
The 25 odd students in each batch put in 3 years, ending up with presenting their own
collection of 6 dresses each. Under the able guidance of Kavitha and other members of the
faculty, these students are fine-tuned to enter in various areas of the Fashion industry
like designing, visual merchandising, fashion journalism or even setting up shop on their
own. Some take on apprenticeship with famous designers who are willing to take them on
stipends as they need the extra hand as much as the freshers need the experience.
While in NIFT they are encouraged to enter design competitions that are growing every
year. It’s a great opportunity for them to present their work as well as experience
the high of media exposure. The Design Echo competition NIFT has been conducting at Delhi
since 1999 is a great platform for the young designers to interact with their fellow
design mates from around the world. They are exposed to the latest trends as well as
judged by international design faculties and designers from India and abroad.
It is in the minds of the graduates rolling out of institutes like NIFT and in the vision
and efforts of people like Kavitha that the future of Indian Fashion lies. A strange
twisted tale. Spreading from Delhi where the ‘Behnjis’ are still looking for
fabric to match the shade of lipstick, to Mumbai where ‘the gals know’, to
Chennai where the ‘akkas’ refuse to let go of centuries of culture, to
‘namma bangalooru’ where it is ‘all so western’!
While you try to cook up the magic formula, I leave you with another of Kavitha’s
bitter, simple, truths. Unless the public gets interested in fashion and the public
invests in fashion, its no good. There will be no fashion. Fashion is dead. Long live
Design.
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