High on fashion

Indian fashion is a rare combination of creativity and commercial viability. The year 2008 was special for the industry, which offered a variety of styles. The link between Bollywood and designers also grew into a worldwide phenomenon, writes Vimla Patil

It was perhaps uncannily symbolic that Madhur Bhandarkar’s film Fashion became a runaway hit during 2008, for fashion and glamour were the buzzwords of the textile business during 2008 in India. The export figures for the fashion industry are ample proof of the magnificent performance of the industry—both hi-end and retail—during the past year. Published figures say that this year the industry has notched up $1.8 billion, and is growing at a healthy 20 to 30 per cent in the $35 billion global fashion market.

This year alone, in the four fashion weeks held in Delhi and Mumbai—the Lakme Fashion Week and the official Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week—over 80 international buyers from 19 countries and 100 domestic buyers participated in the shows in which over 80 designers showcased their latest designs. As many as 78 top models participated in the innumerable shows presented by senior, well-known designers as well as a cache of young, talented newcomers.

Designers like Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, Manish Arora, Ashish Soni, Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Pria Kataria Puri and others have an impressive list of international clients. Indian designers like Ashish Soni, Pria Kataria Puri, Ritu Kumar and Ritu Beri are already presenting their collections in London, New York, Milan and Melbourne. Business tie-ups also bring more money. Sunit Verma’s link with Tuscan Verve, Rohit Bal’s watches for Titan, Manish Arora’s line for Reebok, JJ Valaya’s designs for Ferns ‘n Petals and Ritu Beri’s designs for Lee Jeans have yielded super results.

However, 2008 was special for the fashion and glamour business. The link between Bollywood and its favourite fashion designers grew into a worldwide phenomenon this year. Akki Narula designed the dazzling, sexy look and clothes for the incredible zero-size Kareena Kapoor in the dud film Tashan. The film also brought a media-blitz because of the romance of Kareena and Saif Ali Khan.

Neeta Lulla designed the opulent clothes worn by Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan for Jodhaa Akbar and made history come alive. Manish Malhotra and Akki Narula designed the look for Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham in Dostana, yet another success story. To top it all, Shabina Khan and Manish Malhotra designed the looks for Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur for the biggest hit of last year Jab We Met. Indeed, the very visible Kareena, appearing at umpteen awards functions and stage shows during 2008, contributed hugely to the fashion industry’s success during the year. Every major film this year had a senior designer contributing to its well-packaged, sleek look.

During the year, younger fashion designers created a huge market for collections which were snapped up by the large number of mall shops and chain stores in India and other countries, where the elite shop for clothes. Almost 55 designers showed their work for teens, working couples and even children this year, making designer clothes (western as well as Indian) a must for everyone in even middle class families in urban India.

The procession of showstoppers and the huge publicity given to them was another feather in the cap of the fashion industry. This year, a record 27 showstoppers in the major fashion events included some of the most celebrated men and women in the glamour and sports industry — Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Minisha Lamba, Raima Sen, Sridevi, Sriya Saran, Preeti Jhangiani, Sameera Reddy, Masumeh, Prachi Desai, Kunal Khemu, Mandira Bedi, Sreesanth, Anil Kapoor, Celina Jaitley and Sandhya Mridul. This, in addition to models from across the world, added a special zing to the industry’s achievement and fame.

All of these celebrities as well as the top models also displayed a wide range of cocktail and party wear in the season’s favourite colours like red, pink, white, silver and gold, green and mauve. Additionally, through the year, many fashion events showcased collections of sportswear, casual wear and ready-to-wear clothes to meet the fancies of the young and rich.

India’s fashion industry scaled greater heights in 2008 because of the sheer variety and styles offered with an aura of beauty and energy. The colours were vibrant, the looks were unforgettable and the appeal was irresistible. As Rathi Vinay Jha, director-general of the Fashion Design Council of India says: "Indian fashion is a rare combination of creativity and commercial viability. With such a treasure of traditional textiles and crafts in our kitty, we can surely attract the whole world to buy our clothes and accessories."