It’s raining fashion shows in India. In Delhi, late July witnessed the tenth edition of Fashion Design Council of India’s Couture Week, which followed soon after designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla hosted a bridal event in partnership with the JW Marriott Hotel. On August 2, Emporio Couture Wedding held their first fashion show, and this weekend is the by-invitation only Vogue Wedding Show — now in its fifth year — with many designers who show at Couture Week participating. (Full disclosure: I am a contributing editor at Vogue ). Later this month is Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week. Phew! Now you know why fashion designers and editors are a harried, exhausted lot!
To go by what I’ve seen on the various runways, everyone looks to be dressing for a red carpet these days, real or imaginary. High wattage attendees at Couture Week were in thrall at the exquisite creations made by blue chip designers like Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahililiani, Anita Dongre and Rahul Mishra. Although it’s a BYOS (Bring Your Own Sponsor) gig for designers, they use the platform to showcase their most innovative and detailed ensembles.
Unlike in Paris, home to the Western concept of haute couture, where the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture set out specific guidelines on which fashion houses qualify for the coveted couture tag, India has no such rules. Well, not yet anyway. Of course our history with bespoke, elaborate, custom-made clothing is age-old, given our impressive textile tradition.
What does couture mean in India? I parleyed this question at a fancy women’s high tea filled with social A-listers just as Couture Week was in full swing. Ms Haute Heiress, declared, “It means bridal, babes, why do they call it anything else?” “Is that because weddings are our only big occasions?” I probed. “Of course. Where else do you wear such fancy clothes? Certainly not when you’re vacationing in Europe!”
I called Sujata Assomull, Consulting Fashion Editor at Khaleej Times , and my go-to pal for all things fashion, for her opinion. She concurred. “I am not sure we have figured out what couture is in India. There’s a redefinition of what couture is around the world, so why should India be any different? Let’s face it. In India, weddings are the drivers of the market. We don’t have débutante balls or fancy benefits. Coming out for a rich girl means dancing at a friend’s sangeet .”
In the absence of star-studded fund raisers, wealthy Indians substitute weddings to put their best foot forward. There’s nothing like a desi wedding to channel one’s competitive spirit, with everyone aiming to outdo each other in the fashion department.
Wisely, Abu-Sandeep curated their show around suggestions for five wedding related occasions: the cocktail, mehendi, haldi, sangeet , and the actual ceremony. Such is their clout that Sonam Kapoor flew in from New York for a quick appearance.
At the DLF show, stylists Aki Narula, Tanya Ghavri and Ami Patel were on hand to assist prospective brides. At Vogue ’s wedding show, Anaita Shroff Adajania, the magazine’s fashion director, is on offer to help customers. After all, if you want to look good, who better than these folks to give you guidance?
In the age of social media, anyone can be a celebrity, depending on the number of followers one has. Bollywood may need gowns for their premieres and awards shows, but so do the country’s super rich, for glamazon weddings. After all, projecting the right image means perfecting your outfit, your pout and wearing your wallet on your sleeve.
This fortnightly column tracks the indulgent pursuits of the one-percenters.
