Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Split wide open

It is not just the government which is looking for numbers, the Fashion Design Council of India is also seeking support from the fashion fraternity to prevent another division in its ranks.

After months of bickering, allegations, counter allegations and unsubstantiated reports in a section of the media a picture is finally emerging and it doesn’t seem rosy. Sumeet Nair, the Executive Director of FDCI, who resigned amidst charges of misappropriation of funds and favouritism, which he calls as the creation of a ‘vocal minority’, is on course to form a parallel body and has already announced another fashion week whose dates clash with the FDCI-mandated Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in October.

“It is not an act of vengeance. Had it been we would not have scheduled it on the same dates. The idea is to give the buyers and designers more options at the same time. Internationally this is the trend. There is a big event and then there are side events. I have been associated with FDCI from its inception and won’t like to harm it. However, there were certain things which I could not do within the Council. I would like to implement them here.” It is not absolutely clear, but the “certain things” include emphasis on luxury brands, Bollywood presence and a focused approach. “The jury has short-listed 25-30 elite designers and it is not going to be Week–centric, we will work with them round the year. We want a balance between Bollywood and fashion.”

For now biggies like Ashish Soni (who resigned as the President of FDCI after Sumeet’s ouster), Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani and Raghavendra Rathore have lent him support. None of them have given up their FDCI membership yet. Rathore hints at showing his creations at both the events. “One can show men’s wear at one event and women’s wear at the other.” Simple!

Meanwhile, to keep the herd together, FDCI has made board member Karuna Khaitan, who was leading the pack of Sumeet baiters, resign from the post. Voices of sanity like Payal Jain and Paras have also quit. The council has appointed a non-designer, merchandiser Sunil Sethi as the president, apparently to avoid ego clashes. The all-pervasive Director General Rathi Vinay Jha’s term gets over by the end of this month. And the buzz is Vinod Kaul, who has served as Executive Director in the past, will replace her. FDCI still has JJ Valaya, Manish Arora and Rajesh Pratap Singh to keep the media excited. “The last thing the industry needs is another division. There is some public accountability of designers as well,” says Jha.

Payal, who tried her best to keep the flock together, feels disgusted. “The industry is not big enough to require even two weeks. The world will laugh at us. Here designers get tired of creating collections for two seasons, how will they create for two events in one week?” She hopes Sethi will be able to bring some of the designers back to the fold because of his proximity to them. However, it might be too late. Over the years FDCI could not introduce non-designer industry people to in the board. The body failed to realise that designers can’t be event managers. Amidst the fracas, Rathore manages his philosophical best. “This is the great manthan of Indian fashion. Let’s see what comes out of it.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail