I have officially been in the business for 10 years now. And I only just realized that a few weeks ago when I woke up one day with this thought in my head, ‘How much has Indian fashion really progressed in the last decade?’ We have grown, become wiser, bolder, less intimidated, better finished. Im talking about both, myself and Indian fashion. Its that time of the season again when everything and everyone in the fashion world is abuzz. And I am too, more than ever this time. My friends joke around saying I make money just by strutting up and down and often ask if I knew how many kilometers I had walked on the ramp in the last ten years. But this time I chose to be on the other side of the fence. No Im not quitting and Im no where close. I just feel like observing for a change and get my pay cheque for writing and not walking. There really isn’t much difference to be honest. A good model silently displays fashion and projects it on herself, while a writer projects it on paper. I am really excited about my blog this time. Ofcourse like always I will give you all the backstage dope, but I ll be upfront as well giving you all the frontstage goss, runway reviews and designer babble. Fittings are on full swing and for a model it’s the most boring part of fashion week. But somehow we find ways to make it fun. But for a designer it’s the most important day of the season. Its interesting to note how some designers have this confused worried look on their faces whilst some are so confident and calm. Even the way a designer conducts his fittings tells one a lot about the designer. There are some who come in with no order in mind, randomly give out garments to models, then make them change and swap four times over and try and fit and alter everone at the same time. The result: alterations are taken down all wrong which makes the garments look worse on show day and we finally end up wearing something totally different which makes our whole fitting day a waste of time. Then there are those seldom gems who waltz in, giving out their garments in a fixed order of appearence, check and take down alteration notes one by one on each model and breeze out in less than two hours. The result: Perfection. I cant wait to see who fits into which category this season. I am off to spend the day with my fellow models at their fittings, make them a bit jealous of the fact that I don’t have to endure the ever so boring and painfully long fitting schedule this time around. And that I can whizz off for a coffee or even to the powder room as and when I feel like. I have decided to celebrate my 10 year anniversary.
The last day was a killer! It seemed like the longest day ever, all of us were saturated by now. We were tired and irritated but just the thought of it being the last day kept us going, and of course the umpteen trips to the bar also helped. Backstage was moving really slow and unfortunately there was a bit of an unpleasant incident that occurred. One of the girls got her hair burnt by mistake while it was being styled, and she lost quite a bit of it. Poor thing bawled like a baby but within no time she was consoled and everything went back to normal. After all the show must go on! One of my favourite shows I did that day was for Lina Tipnis. I thought her clothes were fantastic and I really enjoyed myself during the show. The energy was high and the music rocking! Chaitanya Rao and Rakesh Agarwal also outdid themselves, the former’s clothes were structured and well fitted while the latter’s dreamy and drapey. All of us felt really beautiful in the show and some wished to keep some of the outfits which unfortunately we never get to do, but Rakesh being a sweetheart never says no to us. The Finale show was as usual spectacular and a perfect end to the week. Sabhyasachi’s each piece was a work of art. All his clothes hung backstage looked like faces, each with different but beautiful features. He patiently dressed up each and everyone of us and only then did the show start. A standing ovation later we were all geared up to hop, skip and jump to the finale party. (of which I have no memory)
Exhausted faces backstage, was all one could see on day 4, not only the models but even the behind the scenes crew members. By now we were expecting everyone’s catty claws out, but despite the occasional snapping the atmosphere was quite chilled. And the yummy chocolate ice cream that is available freely for all of us backstage also helped quite a bit. In fact did I mention this? Not just ice cream but loads of food and snacks is always around for us to munch on between shows. (it’s a different thing we don’t get the time!) There are also three other lounges available for those on a liquid diet. So in the gratification department we are all set! The rest of the day went quite smoothly (almost mechanically) except for a few usual hiccups like for double designer shows where they fight over a common makeup look, due to which our make up process gets seriously delayed leaving us no time for rehearsals. Luckily we are professional enough to make the whole show look seamless and smooth even without the rehearsals. The finale by Vikram Phadnis was definitely the highlight of day 4. True to the word ‘SHOWTIME’ it was worth a watch. With Shiamak and his dancers performing, it definitely added to the already high glam quotient of the flamboyant creations of Vikram Phadnis. Priyanka Chopra was back again to do the finale walk. Wendell Rodricks sat in the front row and applauded the white gown Priyanka Chopra wore. He sat with Celina Jaitley and couldn’t stop complimenting the gown. So the show ended on a high note and we cant wait for tomorrow. It’s the last day!
Day 3 started bright and early since we were at the Levi’s party last night. The first show of the day was the accessory show- accessories take a lot more time than wearing simple silhouettes. We had a full house for the first show of the morning! We had 4 accessory designers showcasing at this show. Little Shilpa opened the show- her name and size might be little but her accessories spoke for themselves. They were the most creative, bizarre and alternative pieces one could think of, aptly exaggerated for the ramp. Bags and shoes by Malaga and STOFFA also made their mark. For the first time Lakme Fashion Week showcased a special accessory show and it was well received! I’m glad people have begun to take accessories seriously. The female models were done for the day as the rest of the shows were dedicated to men’s wear…what a treat for the women as we had hunky male models strutting their stuff!! I for one was excited to stay back and watch it! Troy Costa did an outstanding job; his entire collection was extremely wearable and very stylish. Narendra Kumar was at his usual best. It’s always nice to see him backstage so calm and cool and in control, no hint of nervousness. Raghavendra Rathore’s all male collection was his usual signature style. The make-up had every hint of Rathore’s inimitable style. It was interesting to see him experiment with the look- all models had moustaches! The most important show of the day was the finale by Arjun Khanna. The boys relaxing backstage were exhausted but still excited about getting on to the ramp for Arjun’s show. At his last Lakme show, he had an all-gold/ bronze look but this time he settled for a “frozen” look- fur caps, and faces made up as though they had been frozen in ice. All in all it was a great day. Two very important aspects of fashion were actually given importance- accessories and the hair/ make up. Besides this, just dedicating one whole day to men’s fashion in India is a huge step forward!
Today was a long day..reallllyy long, we had to do four shows and makeup started at 8 am, even before breakfast!! Come 11: 30 and we were on the ramp strutting away. Arjun Saluja’s was highly talked about, it was very structured and straight forward. The Levis show done by Tarun Tahiliani was different and totally spectacular. There was lots of bling on denim jeans, shirt dresses, shorts and mini skirts. The look was big hair dos and tons of attitude! We were all sexy mommas from the 70’s and 80’s. The show was choreographed by Meher Jessia Rampal and as usual she did full justice to Tarun’s offerings. It was actually the most awaited show as everyone wanted to see what a designer like Tarun Tahiliani could do for a brand like Levis. The finale show for today was an uplifter for sure. Anand Kabra and Vineet Bahl both did full justice to their individual styles. Vineet’s music was exceptionally upbeat which set the mood for the night. I’m off to the Levis after party now! See you on day 3!
As is always the case, the first morning was hectic..getting the ball rolling takes time. In general, the preparations went quite smoothly. The first show by Shantanu & Nikhil was in association with Gitanjali. Though in conjunction with the clothes, the hair ( a very tribal look with braids and afro hairpieces ) and make up ( black smoky eyes and pale mouth ) blended very well, I felt the jewellery was overpowered by the clothes. Either the clothes should have been less ornate or the jewellery pieces chunkier. According to the original plan, Sameera Reddy, Neha Uberoi and Shahzaan Padamsee were supposed to be the show stoppers on the ramp, however Sameera Reddy encountered a size problem and Neha Uberoi turned up late. Shantanu & Nikhil were naturally upset with the circumstances, they feel their clothes speak for themselves and don’t need celebrities to endorse them. However Gitanjali was keen for them to be included in the show. I’m glad the organisers are so strict about the timings, 20 minutes is the maximum delay allowed and since Neha was running way behind time the show started without her. (the show goes on without so- called celebrities too!!) Nachiket Barve and Nikasha Tawade were in tandem with each other, the former for a summer evening and the latter for a summer morning. Nikasha worked with very light, airy fabrics, pastel shades and they had a lovely spring summer feel to them. It was like going on a morning walk with a peaceful and tranquil environment, smelling the fresh morning dew along the way (getting all poetic here). Nachiket’s collection was similar with beautiful colours but more structured silhouettes. Because of the gorgeous outfits and lovely pastel colours, the whole vibe backstage was almost zen like. The peaceful, melodious music put all of us in a relaxed, mellow mood fitting the collections. Thirty models were doing the Sunsilk hair show with Narendra Kumar. Backstage was extremely chaotic as extra models had been called in especially for the show. Since it was a hair show, hairstylists were all over the place armed with tongs, pins, the works! I love shows with Narendra Kumar as I feel he is the only organised designer with all his fitting having been completed way before the show. The outfits were signature Nari style divided into three groups (curly, wavy and straight hair) in collaboration with the theme. Personally I find the whole buzz backstage very exciting as I feel hairstyling is the most essential part of your look. Even if you have no makeup on and a very simple dress, your hairstyle can make you look very glam. For a change I’m glad they’re having a hair focussed show instead of the usual clothes or makeup. Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse and Priyanka Chopra were the show stoppers and am I glad to see how well Mughda and Priyanka blended in with all of us despite stepping into the film industry from the modelling world. The camaraderie they shared with all of us was great, although Kangana was the quintessential ice maiden. At the end of the day, I think I can conclude that the trend of the season is a very colourful and mismatched look and the finale show by Shane and Falguni Peacock on the first day was a perfect example of this. It was like they had been let loose with a box of crayons. The collection was very youthful but at the same time had a vintage touch to it. Okay now signing off ..until day two then..take care and stay tuned! My Hot Pick of the day!
And here it is. The last season flew by and Lakme Fashion Week is back again! Before we get started on all the fun of the actual shows, we need to make it through 5 days of torturous fittings. Need I say, that can sometimes make a model feel like a clothes-horse. But the fantastic bit is that once we step onto the ramp, we’re the centre of attention! This season has 15 International models since many of our regular Indian models are participating at fashion events occurring simultaneously. I like to think of this as adding an international and global appeal to our Indian week! Shows start Monday. We can always expect the usual perks that come with the territory- clothes, make-up, massages, great food, and fun parties. But a good night’s sleep, that’s what I’m gonna be craving. On second thoughts, who needs sleep with so much fashion around! Stick around to catch up on all the backstage action with me.
Here, your all-access backstage pass to Lakme Fashion Week. Your tour guide? None other than top model Shamita Singha and our fashion team. Check back daily for news from behind the scenes.
