 | | INDIAN ELEMENT | | | | Prepare to be pinned. This season's most desirable fashion accessory is definitely the nipple tape. Call it a stick-up to prevent a slip-up, but post last season's wardrobe malfunctions which grabbed more attention than moolah matters, the Lakme Fashion Week's (LFW) Spring-Summer 2007 edition, the fourth fashion week of the year, boasts of a new set of rules. While this year's show flaunts an exhaustive line-up of "emerging talent" and never-before overseas overtures, designers and choreographers have also been handed out a 28-point guideline to prevent any strips and rips. As Anil Chopra, Ravi Krishnan and their band of boys get ready to roll out the red carpet at the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai on October 31, the message is clear-zip up or zap out. Even as the clash of the couturiers continues, the Lakme-IMG combine is clawing its way back into reckoning. With many of its biggest stars like Manish Malhotra, Rocky S and Ashish Soni having jumped the ship, the splinter group is all set to pull out its latest trump card-the overseas connection. With the only big names in their arsenal being Wendell Rodricks, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Narendra Kumar Ahmed and Priyadarshini Rao, the organisers reckon a few foreign hands would ably support their endeavour. From global fashion brands to international stylists-Lakme-IMG is pulling out all stops for its spring-summer bang to compensate for its whimper of a designer line-up. If Indian designers are making inroads internationally, why shouldn't the global haute monde, little-known to Indian audiences, get a taste of the Indian ramp razzmatazz? Fashion week festivities in Mumbai will see French celebrity designer Nathalie Garcon grace the runway, thanks to an exchange programme with the prestigious Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin. Parisian label Leonard is all set to make a splash with the Federation President Jean-Pierre Mocho also in attendance at IFW. What's in it for the desi designer brigade you ask? Two Indian designers will also get an opportunity to showcase their collection at Prêt à Porter, Paris. The emerging South African fashion fraternity will be represented by popular South African label Sun Goddess (brainchild of Vanya and Thando Mangaliso) which recently made a splash at the London Fashion Week and leading South African designer Clive Rundle. | | INTERNATIONAL QUOTIENT | |  NATHALIE GARCON Her intrinsically feminine collection is inspired by the "Cote d'azur" of the '40s. Sophisticated and easy-to-wear, humorous and light are the French designer's style statements. | |  SELINA ROBSON, KELVIN HARRIES, PHILIP SCURRAH While venue director Robson returns to lfw for a second season, New Zealand born freelance stylist Harries and English stylist Scurrah gear up to set the ramp in Mumbai on fire.
| |  SUN GODDESS The winner of the "2006 Designer of The Year" at the Cape Town Fashion Awards, designer duo Vanya and Thando Mangaliso from South Africa showcases South Africa's past splendour, once more, made tangible.
|  CLIVE RUNDELL South Africa's couture king, he is not just a fashion designer but a "constructionist" as well. Born in Zimbabwe, bred in South Africa, Rundell studied fashion designing in Johannesburg and is today known for his meticulous use of form, line, colour and texture. | | LEONARD Daniel Tribouillard created Leonard Fashion in 1958. As of today, he has 125 exclusive boutiques all over the world including 106 in Japan. Cubic and graphic volumes, draped dresses and bathing suits in Leonard's trademark prints are the statements this season. | | International expertise in styling and venue planning is also being recruited. Stylists Philip Scurrah and Kelvin Harries will be seen fielding the magic wand as venue director Selina Robson will assume charge for a second consecutive season. Says Anil Chopra, vice-president, Lakme Lever, "Integration has to be a two-way process. We have sent Sabyasachi Mukherjee to Olympus Fashion Week, New York, and Narendra Kumar Ahmed and Sonam Dubal to Mercedes Fashion Weeks in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively. Now if you have international designers willing to show in India, it's a great indication that India's time has come." Vanya Mangaliso of Sun Goddess, declared "2006 Designer of the Year" at the Cape Town Fashion Awards, believes their design philosophy resonates with Indian design trends-a factor which has compelled them to look eastwards. "At Sun Goddess we cherish the way Indian fashion has still retained its own identity," says Mangaliso. According to Chopra, "The future of fashion lies in the hands of the young people. We learnt last year that young designers have talent but don't have the skills to put their collection together. Hence, we have invested in bringing international stylists to fulfill our commitment. Our most promising find last season Rahul Mishra would have had to wait for a few years for the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) to even give him a chance." Robson is back from the New York, London and Paris fashion weeks. So while stylists Harries and Scurrah look forward to "interpreting, editing and injecting ideas" in Mumbai, Chopra has already signed on more international designers for the March 27 to 31 fall-winter show. Rules have become more stringent and mistakes have been amended. Designers like Bennu Sehgall and Lakme discovery Shahzad Kalim have been dropped from the line-up "on the basis of the poor quality of their designs". Besides the new designers, apparel brands like Stanza and Allen Solly will be showcasing collections this season. The list of 50 domestic and international buyers includes names like Saks Fifth Avenue, Villa Moda, Harvey Nichols, Mumbai Se. And, of course, Mumbai's love affair with Bollywood will find fruition in the collections and front rows of Surily Goel, Seema Khan, Vikram Phadnis and Nikasha Tawadey. For Ravi Krishnan, consultant to IMG, the combination of "a strong indigenous film industry coupled with a strong Indian fashion industry" is worth embracing. And in the process if any uncomfortable tears show, there is always the nipple tape. Index
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SURILY GOEL Last season Salman Khan and Malaika Arora studded her ramp. This time around while all eyes will be focused on the front row, Goel hopes her garments will do the talking. She moves from her trademark embellishments to detailing and construction with her feminine and flirty IFW collection. With four separate lines in solids, polkas and prints, classic shapes make an appearance in pastels moving on to deep reds, emerald greens and hot pinks.
WENDELL RODRICKS The designer from Goa showcases a different side of the city-a darker side-inspired by friendly ghosts and demons of the villages. 'Vamp' is as much as derivation from blood-sucking vampires as from the silver screen's wicked and sensuous vamps.
SEEMA KHAN She has dressed the best in the Bollywood business and her show is bound to draw them all. The promising Khan brings a romantic, frothy and elegant line which has dresses and more of them. From brilliant colours to trademark bold prints and bolder cuts, this promises to be a starry style show.
JAMES FERREIRA The veteran designer showcases his first ever fashion week collection "Bombay Tokyo". Drawing inspiration from home turf Girgaum, Ferreira's line draws on the navvari saree, Sholapur blankets, marigold torans and the mango leaf to create a western silhouette. Drawstrings from India pair with origami and folding techniques from Japan to create a sensational impact..
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