If fashion is what you live and breathe then here’s an amazing account of India’s prominent fashion events – the trends, money and lives they make.
From dainty designs to dramatic cuts, flashy silhouettes to understated elegance, varying hues to monochromatic weaves, Fashion events are an ultimate amalgamation of the extremes, the regular and the strange.
In India, we have about 10 fashion events that have been occurring annually since many years now, along with many standalone shows that are specifically done in order to promote/ support a specific cause.
When we talk about fashion shows, we take into context the collections, the designers, the models and the extravagance but hardly, do we ponder on the huge impact that they have on an entire ecosystem.
So, in this article, we will look at India’s prominent fashion shows, some related facts, figures and everything in between. 😊 Let’s dive in:
1. Do You know the Indian Fashion Industry has a God Father!
Yes, the godfather is called FDCI or Fashion Design Council of India that has been working at promoting Indian fashion nationally and globally, along with providing strategic insights, guidance and support to its members, since 1998.
Currently, there are over 400 members that include both leading and rookie fashion and accessory designers, professionals, educational institutions and corporates. It is supported by Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India.
2. The year 2019 saw 10 Prominent Fashion shows happening across the breadth and width of the country.
Here’s the list:
India Fashion Week
India Fashion Week happens twice a year in Delhi. The Autumn-Winter Season in March and the Spring-Summer in October. It is sponsored by FDCI and is attended by India’s Crème de la Crème of fashion designers. It’s earliest sponsor was Lakme, then Wills Lifestyle, then came Amazon.in and now, Lotus Makeup.
Lakme Fashion Week
Lakme Fashion Week is another premier bi-annual event organized in Mumbai. The Winter/Festive Edition takes place in August and Summer/Resort in February. It is jointly organised by Lakme and IMG Reliance Ltd. and sees participation by the best of Indian designers.
India Couture week
An FDCI organized annual event that usually happens in July. As the name suggests, it’s all about ‘Couture’.
India Runway Week – India’s ‘First Ever’ Instagram Edition Fashion Event
India Runway Week is organized by Indian Federation of Fashion Development that helps the new designers and fashion students to showcase and market their talent. It has two seasons, the Summer and the Winter Festive edition.
India Beach Fashion Week
This fashion event is all about The BEACH Fashion. Experienced, as well as, newbie designers flock Goa where they showcase their resort, beach, cruise and destination wear collections. It has summer and winter resorts in a year.
India Bridal Fashion Week
India Bridal Fashion Week primarily focuses on bridal couture. It’s a once in a year event that sees bridal and groom wear exquisitely designed by Industry stalwarts. It caters to its customers through offline and online multi-brand wedding couture stores.
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour
As the name suggests, this is a touring fashion event that encompasses various cities. It happens yearly and is attended by eminent Indian designers. Currently, it has Priyanka Chopra Jonas as its Brand Ambassador.
Bangalore Fashion Week
Bangalore Fashion Week is a renowned event occurring bi-annually in the Silicon valley of India, Bangalore. It brings together fresh talent and famed fashion designers that put forth their collections. It happens to be Asia’s biggest trade fair for fashion and accessories.
North East India Fashion Week
North East India Fashion Week is a fashion event that happens annually in the eastern states of India. The focus is on encouraging north eastern designers, weavers and craftsmen and finding growth opportunities for them.
India Kids Fashion Week
This event exclusively focuses on kid’s fashion and accessories. It’s a quadrennial event that strives to get together the makers, manufacturers, designers, buyers and parents. The outfits and accessories are modelled by kids that makes for a unique experience.
3. How do Fashion events make money and how much?
Majorly, the attendance at a fashion event is by invitation only. However, a few seats are sold by tickets too. There is a participation fee for designers and brands. Then, along with the event, there are designer exhibitions, trade shows where the fashion wear is sold and purchased. The major chunk of money comes through the event sponsors.
So, yes, fashion shows do make a lot of money and also, they are big money churning machines for the cities that host them. As per, FashionUnited, In 2017, Lakme Fashion Week made an income of ₹ 97 crores where Mumbai earned an income of ₹ 16 crores.
4. Do Fashion Events create Fashion Trends?
True!! Fashion designers have a theme (Colours, Shapes, Patterns, Fabrics etc) in mind that has inspired them, based on which they create a line up and showcase in a fashion event.
It is from their designs that manufacturers take cues, pick up certain things from the themes and produce for the mass market.
That’s it….. There’s the trend you had been waiting for.
Quick Note : Fashion events do inspire trends, but they aren’t the only factor.
5. Do you know the real reasons for Fashion Trends to exist?
Fashion trends ensure that people or buyers have a reason to keep purchasing.
An average shirt and trouser has a life span of 2-3 years, if a person continues to wear the same once in a week, every week, for 2-3 years.
Without trends, people will not have the motivation to try something new and the industry will not earn. They are the primary force behind Fast Fashion. Hence, trends inspire and keep the money moving in the entire fashion ecosystem.
Now the psychological angle ….. Following trends shows that a person is affluent and has deep pockets to keep their wardrobes and themselves updated.
Eye Opener, Right!!
6. What happens to weird fashion show clothes ?
Fashion shows have it all – From Haute Couture (Custom Stitched), Pret-a-Porter (Ready to Wear) garments to those that are too bizarre even for its superlative degree.
These weird garments are not just designer’s way of expressing their creative instincts but also, grabbing more attention and publicity.
Once the shows are over, this is what happens to them:
- They get recycled or altered such that they become usable in some way.
- They are carefully stored for future use, inspiration.
- They are used in displays at the designer’s stores.
On the contrary, haute couture garments are worn a number of times before they get sold, stored or replicated, like:
- Firstly, they get worn for catalogue, printing material, advertisement photoshoots.
- Then they are worn for the runways.
- They are lent to celebrities, socialites and used in lesser known events.
- They are used as sample pieces for designing newer set of garments, on order.
- They are carefully stored for future use or used by designers in their store displays.
7. Fashion Industry means Designers, Brands and their expensive labels. Isn’t it?
Wrong!! It’s a huge ecosystem when it comes to fashion.
For couture and ready to wear , the fabric suppliers supply a rich range in fabrics – cottons, silks, linens, viscose, jute, georgette, jacquard etc. The fabrics use different printing techniques like tie and dye, block prints, dabu, kalamkari, leheriya and so on, with different designs and weaves.
So, basically, a supplier procures from a certain set of weavers, fabric printing and cottage industries.
Then, there are embroiderers and tailors who work on the designer’s design.
Furthermore, there are manufacturers who produce for the mass market, retailers, exporters and other intermediaries.
8. Who were the Earliest Indian Fashion Designers, any names?
Bhanu Athaiya is the earliest of India designers. However, aptly, she was a costume designer who designed clothes for many Indian movies (since 1960s) and even got an Oscar for the movie ‘Gandhi’ in 1983. Talking specifically, in terms of fashion designing, Ritu Kumar was one of the first designers who started producing fashion pieces that reflected an interesting mix of rich Indian craftsmanship with contemporary designs, way back in 1960s.
These were a few fun facts. Hope you enjoyed them.
Fashion shows have been a crucial component of the industry machinery. However, in recent times of pandeminc, the entire industry is expected to see a huge shift in the way it operates. Focussing on sustainable fashion and fashion events, entirely going digital could be a few changes to start with.
Images:
- Cropped ‘Janhvi Kapoor snapped at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018, Aug 25, 2018‘ by Bollywood Hungama, licensed under CC BY 3.0
- Cropped ‘Silk Looms, Varanasi.jpg‘ by Dan Ruth from St. Paul, MN, licensed under CC BY 2.0
- Cropped ‘Bhanu Athaiya(2).jpg‘ by Aniruddha Gupta, licensed ubder CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cropped ‘Ritu Kumar with Anushka Sharma Store Launch.jpg‘ by Bollywood Hungama, licensed under CC BY 3.0
- www.pexels.com
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