Milan. Rahul Mishra. The man who wooed. Shows today DAILIES. Stop press 26TH-30TH MARCH 14 FASHION DESIGN COUNCIL OF INDIA S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Transcription

1 Stop press FASHION DESIGN COUNCIL OF INDIA S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE DAY 2 A closeup view of the artistic screen The smartly designed Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) 2014 venue was the talk of town on the first day of the event. From the video art installation by Vikram Sharma at the entrance to the artistic frames set up outside the two show areas, visitors loved it all. Talking about the avant garde decor, FDCI President Sunil Sethi says, I give the entire credit of the new decor setup to the FDCI Aesthetic Committee that has worked very closely with quirky design house Play Clan. DAILIES 26TH-30TH MARCH 14 HALL NO. 18, PRAGATI MAIDAN // NEW DELHI Wendell Rodricks, who was recently honoured with a Padma Shri by the Indian government, is being felicitated by FDCI today. We chat with the designer about minimalism, his take on Indian fashion and being rooted >Page 04 Spotted front row: Cricketer Murali Karthik Neha Dhupia is buzzing about WIFW. The actress has been invited by Wills Lifestyle to tweet about the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week autumn-winter, 2014 show. Here is what she said about Rina Dhaka: Color designs expressions & edgy...here goes our #wlifw #wls #nehasfashionverdict... Day1 ends! Social media loves fashion. Follow Blog.fdci.org google.com/+thefdci Rahul Mishra The man who wooed Milan Shows pinterest.com/thefdci

2

3 The buzz Harilein Sabarwal Yamini, Shazia and Sukhmeet New mom Lakshmi Rana was seen scorching the ramps after a hiatus. The model, who had a baby girl just a little over three months ago, looks fitter than ever. FDCI President Sunil Sethi FDCI Dailies Published by: MaXposure Media Group India Pvt. Ltd. Publisher & COO: Vikas Johari CEO & Managing Director: Prakash Johari CFO: Kuldip Singh Editor: Jayita Bandyopadhyay Advisor-at-large: Asmita Aggarwal Pallavi and Rachel Radhika Bhalla Vidushi Mehra Day 2, Thursday March 27, 2014 Designer Aatsu 2:00 PM Myoho by Kiran & Meghna MSA 2 Prama by Pratima Pandey Vaishali S 3:15 PM my village by Rimzim Dadu MSA 1 Kallol Datta :30 PM Anand Bhushan MSA 2 Nachiket Barve Lakshmi Rana and Erika Shantanu and Nikhil Naina Redhu Sony Kaur-Model Saumant Chauhan, Rahul Mishra and Puneet Jasuja1 5:45 PM Amit GT MSA 1 Rights: FDCI Dailies magazine is printed and published by Vikas Johari on behalf of MaXposure Media Group India Pvt. Ltd. (MMGIPL) for FDCI and published at MMGIPL, Unit No. F2B, Second Floor, MIRA Corporate Suites, Plot No. 1&2, Ishwar Nagar, Mathura Road, New Delhi , India. All rights reserved. All writings, artwork and/or photography contained herein maynot be used or reproduced without the written permission of MMGIPL and FDCI. No responsibility can be taken for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. The views and opinions expressed or implied in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of MMGIPL or FDCI. All efforts have been made while compiling the content of this magazine, but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising there from. MMGIPL does not assume any liability for services or products advertised herein. Contacts: Head Office: Unit No. F2B, Second Floor, MIRA Corporate Suites, Plot No. 1&2, Ishwar Nagar, Mathura Road, New Delhi Tel: , Fax: West Mumbai Time Square Building, Third floor, Western Express Highway, Andheri (E),Mumbai Tel: , Fax: Ahmedabad 4, Megabyte Business Centre, Navrang Building, Opp, Samsung Show room, Swastik Char Rasta, C.G. Road, Ahmedabad Tel: Indore 7/1, 409, Fourth Floor, Ratan Mani Complex, Opposite Inter Star Showroom, New Palasia, Indore Tel: East Kolkata DPS Corporate Club, First Floor, 9A Sebak Baidya Street, Kolkata Tel: Raipur Magnetto Offizo, Office No.546, Fifth Floor, Magnetto The Mall, GE Road, Labhandi, Raipur. Tel: South Bengaluru 1010 A Wing, Tenth Floor, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bengaluru Tel: Fax: Hyderabad /2 Ground Floor, Street No. 4, Gurumurthy Lane, Begumpet, Hyderabad Tel: Chennai FL 9, Alsa Mall, First Floor, 149 Montieth Road, Egmore, Chennai Tel: , Fax: Charu Parashar 7:00 PM Ashima-Leena MSA 2 8:15 PM Malini Ramani MSA 1 Nikasha 9:30 PM Rahul Mishra MSA 2 * For the complete schedule, turn to page 14 Our cover celebrates young designer Rahul Mishra s awarded Milan sojourn, glimpses of which we will see at his show today at 9.30 pm Editorial & Photography support : Students of Pearl Academy, Fashion Media Communication and Professional Photography 3

4 Creative by nature, minimalist by design The recent Padma Shri awardee Wendell Rodricks exudes humbleness, simplicity of thought and an appreciation of everything Indian - much like the clothes he designs By Asmita Aggarwal I don t understand maths, I only know how to work with inches, says celebrated designer Wendell Rodricks. But maybe that s what took him to the pinnacle of success as a designer - he recently received the Padma Shri for his outstanding work in the field of fashion and design. I was in the company of people such as Ruskin Bond and Vidya Balan and it was only then that it sunk in. But I do feel good that I did something in fashion that people respected. I wrote a book on the history of Goan costumes, worked with passion, and this award makes all that worthwhile, he smiles. Starting the concept of minimalism way back in 1988, when India was all about bling, excess and brightly coloured clothes and embroidery, Rodricks started a revolution by easy, relaxed silhouettes which cut the monotony of what was being offered. The mini may have been a Western staple, but in India many women who were not confident enough of their bodies would still not wear it. They would prefer to go to their local tailor and get something made in which they felt comfortable. Minimalism was always there in India, we just didn t know how to interpret it. It is not a new concept - it just needed a bit of tweaking. I did things from the heart. I used dusky models for the first time in the 1990s when fair was the rule. So Malaika Arora Khan and Bipasha Basu turned ramp scorchers in an industry which thought fair skin was the only barometer of judging beauty, he laughs. But that s not all. He also fought to make the fashion world a better place, by telling boutiques to buy in bulk so that the designers would not lose out. The idea was not to be self-absorbed, but to do something which kind of helped everyone, both my peers and my competitors, he says. Climbing many mountains in the process, and crossing myriad hurdles, Rodricks admits it wasn t easy, it took him 25 years to get here, and I dealt with a lot of garbage - but in the end it delights me that I had the opportunity to do all this and more, he says. Now he is working closely with the FDCI to embark on a new journey, and that is getting an Indian sizing done, considering that even today designers use UK, US or European sizes. The Indian woman s body type is different; she may have a small upper body but a medium lower body, unlike her Western counterpart. So we need to tailor our clothes accordingly. If we have a set template, this will make life easier for everybody, not just me. And most importantly the consumer - the 4 Rodricks is working with FDCI to get an Indian sizing done, much like the UK and US sizing

5 Wendell Rodricks, who was recently awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government, is being felictated by FDCI today woman, who is looking to me as the designer for style solutions, he says. And if you ask Rodricks what his biggest weakness is, he will tell you in a flash: I have no ego, it is a plus and a minus for me. An advantage, as it is simpler to deal with people; a disadvantage because I am not aggressive. I like doing my own thing. After all, I am just a darzi sitting in a small village in Goa. What s there to be so egotistical about? he shrugs. Looks from a recent colection of Wendell Rodricks Asmita Aggarwal has been writing on fashion for more than 20 years. She has worked with leading publications like The Hindustan Times, The Asian Age and India Today. victorian influence in leather Taneiya Khanuja uses sequin sheets, special wood work and lace By Rajany Pradhan Her dresses are for women who are cosmopolitan and confident. Meet designer Taneiya Khanuja, who has created a buzz with her collection. Tell us about your collection. My collection is for women who are confident and have no qualms flaunting who they are. They have both grace and oomph, and they are not apologetic about it. My collection is inspired from the Victorian era but is for the modern woman. One of the highlights of my collection is detachable belts. I have done a lot of shadow work and cross-stitch in PVC, which is reversible. The other highlight is leather and lace dresses. It makes use of laser cutting on leather and a lot of metallic gold. I have also used hand-woven sequin sheets in my dresses. Special wooden work on my leather dresses adds a soft feel to the overall look. What do you think is attracting so many buyers to your collection? The concept of my collection and the type of women I design for is what is working for me. I also feel the world has started taking Indian designers seriously. They are trusting our designs, our sensibilities and creativity. Our craftsmanship, fabric and variety are our forte. Our designs and fashion aesthetics change as we move from one part of the country to the other, so there is a huge difference in the look and concept of each collection and every designer has his or her own style. According to you, what is the USP of WIFW 2014? It is a mix of everything good in fashion. FDCI exalts the difference and uniqueness of each designer, which makes it very appealing. There is a lot of choice for buyers, which makes it even better competition. WHo are your favourite designers at the WIFW 2014? Pankaj & Nidhi, and Rahul Mishra. 5

6 /reviews/ Day ONE By Prerna Singh Very Anupamaa Anupama Dayal s Kama stays true to her style philosophy and impresses. A vivacious and vibrant colour palette lit up the stage. Floral prints, traditional silks and cottons, made it sensuous, yet fun, bold but demure. Kama is definitely crafted for a woman in love. There were Chanderi and Benarasi weaves, a generous use of gota patti, colourful tassels and printed underskirts. The jewellery, also designed by her, completed the look. We especially loved the diminutive cholis with copper embellishments. Tarun Tahiliani Draped Drama Tarun Tahiliani s dramatic show, which featured his trademark drapes in abundance, was a befitting start to WIFW, A/W The showstopper was Tahiliani favourite Shilpa Shetty, who donned a voluminous skirt in Kanjeevaram fabric with fluid drapes. He proved he is the king of drapes; draping rich silks as saris or into pants, capes and even tops. Contextualised against the rise and stagnation of the Delhi Metro, Tahiliani s show was divided into two parts: The first, the early days, was sleek and monochromatic; The second, 10 years down the line, was created in toned down hues of what were essentially bright colours. Zardozi details and ombré shading gave the garments an extra touch of luxe. Cherry Blossom Bad Girls Go Everywhere Raakesh AgarVwal Leather bodices, tie-up boots, black chokers, chained cuffs and rings Raakesh Agarvwal s collection wasn t for the faint hearted. Keeping to his signature structured silhouettes and bold embellishments, the collection was replete with corsetted tops, shoulders with fur, chain or sequinned detailings and a mix of black and gold. Anupama Dayal Rina Dhaka The Oriental met the Scandinavian in Rina Dhaka s show. Cherry blossom prints on satin juxtaposed with knit jerseys and transparent fabrics. The fluid fabrics - tussar and satin - only accentuated the bodyflattering shapes. Models in fringed, platinum-blond bobs matched the mood. The show that began and ended with selfies seemed apt enough for show sponsor Nokia. 6

7 La Vie En Rose Textured charm Bahl changed the shape of the palazzo and the churidar, giving them a contemporary twist and playing with the fit. The cropped cigarette pants, culottes and the gathered pleats created a layered effect - almost as if the models were wearing jackets. With chikan work and kasab florals, the garments were rich in texture. Eyes go smokey for Shantanu and Nikhil SHANTANU & NIKHIL The show was a relook at the city of Kolkata through the eyes of a modern woman who takes a trip down memory lane. If we were to use two words to describe Shantanu & Nikhil s The Shadows Within, it would be vintage, romance. The collection, in rose hues, had plenty of lace, frills, paisley and selfprints. Lace mitts and footwear with lace detailing added the old-world charm. Vineet Bahl It was the usual backstage mayhem just before the Shantanu & Nikhil show. But Sonic Sarwate (above), senior artist MAC India, worked calmly on the models. Eyes were smokey and lips nude to complement the designer duo s vintage-kolkata inspired collection. Dark browns and greys played around the eyes with a tinge of glittering silver in the inner corner to open up the eye. The lips had a warm tinge of muted burgundy. Hair was piled high up on the head in elegant updos. all that glitters... Kiran Uttam Ghosh Kiran Uttam Ghosh was easily the winner of the day, with dexterous draping and play of sheers and solids. Her designs were accentuated by gold or very slight embellishment. Shades ranged from pale gold, rose gold, burnished gold to antique gold. The cuts were neat, the silhouettes fluid and the finish clean. That little touch we loved - the tassles on the footwear heels of the models. 7

8 Day 2 PREVIEWS Here are the 13 designers who will showcase their creations today. A sneak peek into their collections Ramp it up! Nine new Balkan and Indian models scorched the runway on Day 1 of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. Let s introduce you to them 2 pm // MSA 2 Myoho by Kiran & Meghna The collection Soul Souk prides itself on its simple floral motifs Prama by Pratima Pandey Singing Sparrows draws inspiration from seeing life in rosy hues A heady mix of Serbs and Slovaks draped in desi fabrics celebrated Indian fashion on Day 1 of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The Balkan beauties form a large chunk - four out of nine - of the new crop of models walking the ramp for WIFW Fall- Winter 14. But in step with them were our Indian girls - Ketholeno, Parul and Pooja. With her Oriental looks and playful charm, Naga girl Ketholeno Kense made her debut at the WIFW with nothing less than the grand opener - The Tarun Tahiliani Show. Her long walk of fame has just begun, but this is not where Leno always wanted to be. Modelling was never a career for me, she said. It was just a hobby for me. I briefly modelled when I was 16, and won northeast supermodel but I did not take it seriously. I came to Delhi last year and started getting good work. I became Kingfisher Calender Girl. and now I am a pool model for FDCI WIFW! But Ketholeno is not the only one who realised her calling a bit late. Jelena, a secondary medicine student from Serbia too discovered her love for the profession a bit late. The 5 ft 9 leggy lass loves Bollywood. An accidental model, Slovakia s Dominika is another in the list of debut models who is a model by accident. A trained interior designer, she says she was happy with her artistic inclinations. I was happy painting and sketching, when an agent spotted me. Modelling is in my destiny, he told me, she said. Green-eyed beauty Bianka Bodis from Hungary, too, had no idea this is what she would do. The 19-year-old was all set to manage events and handle PR until India intervened. I came here on vacation, and an agent spotted me and asked for my pictures. But we also have another set of models in the debut list who lived fashion. Unlike Ketholeno, Parul Duggal s life and career was all about fashion. Before she became a model, Duggal did her Bachelor s in Fashion Designing. The 19-year-old from Bhopal has represented India in international beauty pageants as well. Dunja from Serbia, too, always wanted to be a model. She stepped into the fashion world as a closet designer and now she is a model. Vaishali S Bhinna Shadja is inspired from the raag of the same name in Hindustaani Classical music (Clockwise) Katrina, Parul Duggal, Dunya, Jelena, Leno walked the ramp for designers on Day 1 of WIFW 3.15 pm // MSA 1 my village by Rimzim Dadu This is an amalgamation of rich fabric textures with chic street style Kallol Datta 1955 His clothes have ushered in a new wave of ethnogrunge dressing 4.3o pm // MSA 2 Anand Bhushan Broken takes up the microscope for a close study of shiny, happy people Nachiket Barve Drawn from Maori history, MAIA means bravery, courage, confidence and brave warrior 5.45 pm // MSA 1 Amit GT Spurred on by the sole mission to become synonymous with the jetset lifestyle 7 pm // MSA pm // MSA pm // MSA 2 CHARU PARASHAR Her collection invites a woman to discover her uniqueness and individuality ashimaleena One heartbeat is oriental and the other occidental with a twist Malini Ramani Vibrant colour, plunging necklines and loads of glamour Nikasha BiBi reflects a language where time is the ultimate luxury rahul mishra This collection has been inspired by the Buddha s Lotus Effect 8

9 Proud to be Official Hair and Makeup Partner Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week - Autumn Winter 2014 Hair Beauty Spa Makeup Nail Have you been to India s most awarded salon & spa Vogue Choice Salon for Colour in India Vogue Colourist of the Year Elle Beauty Awards Industry Expert Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards Jury Best Spa & Salon Chain in Delhi - World Travel Brand Ranked 7th Best Hair Stylist in the World - Style Stars Harper s Bazaar Editors Choice Salon in India Jury for Miss Maxim Indian Institute of Interior Design - Best Salon Design /monsoonsalon /monsoonsalon For all exciting deals visit monsoonsalon.com/offers Rod Anker Australian Celebrity Hair Stylist and Director Monsoon Salon & Spa M: Greater Kailash - II, South Ext - I, Rajouri Garden, Punjabi Bagh (W), Connaught Place, Dwarka, Gurgaon,

10 Gems bond Gauri and Radhika are rare sisters-in-law. They are not only good friends but also business partners for their jewellery brand, Isharya By Asmita Aggarwal You are sisters-in-law. Is it interesting to work together, given the in-law dynamics? Isharya has grown from the two sisters-in-law to a team that boasts more than 30 full- and part-time members across the US and Indian offices. Gauri, based in Mumbai, oversees the design team based in Bandra, and Radhika, based in Silicon Valley, California, manages global branding, sales and marketing. How did the label come about and when? Is it tough working together as relatives? Our collective brand vision and the fact that we are family make it easy to defer to each other s judgment and rely on each other. Designing jewellery was not our first career choice, but it was a welcome diversion in late 2004, when the void in the market for Indian-inspired luxury fashion jewellery became obvious to us, and thus Isharya was born. When we saw that our collections were getting appreciated by editors, celebrities and retailers, in 2007, we decided to commit ourselves full time to making the brand grow - and there has been no turning back since. Are you trained designers? Gauri: I grew up in Delhi and studied Fashion Merchandising at The American College in London. I later got my masters degree in Business Studies at the London School of Economics. Today, I live in Mumbai and have two sons. Family is very important to us and, in fact, the name Isharya is a combination of our children s names - Radhika s daughter Arya and my two sons Armaan and Ishaan. Radhika: I was born in London and lived in four countries while growing up. I finally settled in California, where I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, came to San Francisco for law school, married Gauri s brother-in-law and then started practising intellectual property litigation. In 2007, I left the law firm to focus on Isharya. 10 What do you think is the most challenging thing about jewellery making? Quality, and ensuring that the piece follows our design specifications. We only work with factories that are open to making innovative and challenging designs, and that can provide us with high-quality products in each production run. It s a challenge to find such factories. What is your design ideology? India, without a doubt, is known for its rich, diverse heritage. Isharya is constantly challenged to present a fresh perspective and communicate its interpretation of India s aesthetics in a modern, highquality way that appeals to global trendsetters. This dedication is what keeps us ahead in India s Isharya is inspired by nature, travel, architecture and heritage costume-jewellery movement. What materials do you use and what are the patterns you think work best? Is it precious jewellery? Most of our designs are inspired by nature, architecture, global travel and India s rich heritage. We also love to take age-old jewellery-making techniques and apply them in new and interesting ways. For example, we frequently use mirror glass to mimic Indian polki, also known as rose cut diamonds. We also love using Indianstyle enamel as a way to infuse colour in our pieces. We take inspiration from exotic gemstones to create our 18-carat goldplated premium jewellery. This is your first time at WIFW. What will you be showing? We ll be showing our Abalone and Royal Filigree collections. Our Abalone collection is inspired by elements of the sea, with beautiful abalone slices and tentacle details. Our Royal Filigree collection consists of gold-plated lattice filigree and body jewellery reminiscent of old-world royalty, adding glamour to the assortment. What kind of jewellery does the new-age woman desire? The Isharya woman is confident, boldly feminine and chic. She has verve and passionate energy for life and the people in it. The Isharya aesthetic is designed to fit into her lifestyle and allow her to express her confident style with bold pieces that are at the same time effortless. Technology has made women around the world more aware of style as a way of life. Isharya is thrilled to be in a position to provide a fresh perspective and be able to interpret India s aesthetics in a modern way that appeals to the global fashionista. Many Bollywood stars wear your jewellery. Who do you think embodies the spirit of your brand? And who is the one woman you would like to dress in an Isharya piece? As style icons, we love Beyonce, Heidi Klum and Anna Dello Russo. They all have a confident personal style and are not afraid to experiment. And it is really very difficult to choose from the leading ladies of Bollywood. They are all so fabulous and look amazing in Isharya! Asmita Aggarwal has been writing on fashion for more than 20 years. She has worked with leading publications like The Hindustan Times, The Asian Age and India Today. bold & beautiful Give your fashion quotient a boost by pairing a hot dress with bold jewellery. When you check out the jewellery stalls at WIFW, you cannot miss Isharya by Nisha Khiaji, which has introduced four collections - Abaloni, Royal Filigree, Hampi and Goddess. Taking inspiration from the oceans, Abaloni has neckpieces in the shape of octopus and shells, with a lot of blues and purples. Modifying the age-old filigree style, the Royal Filigree collection displays stunning bracelets, lariat, knuckle rings, body harnesses and broad necklaces. The Hampi collection has stepping-stone-style earrings, neckpieces and finger rings. The Goddess collection represents power, with a lot of black jasper, green malachite and Russian amazonite. Next, the jewellery and bag brand Whatever, by Abhishek Kankaria, caught our attention. The collection was funky and up-front, catering mainly to the young brigade. The designer makes use of a lot of stones on silver, which looks subtle, classy and anything but forced. The wide variety in accessory designs at the WIFW held their own among the powerful couture styles everyone was dying for. It s all about attitude, at the end of the day.

11 Welcome to the tea party Raise the mercury with five tea cocktails from Twinings. Let s brew some fun Tea and fashion have always gone hand in hand. Be it the tradition of high tea, made fashionable by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, or a connoisseur s fine understanding of the taste and trends. But what is fashion if you don t mix it up a little, rough it around, give it a spin? That s what Twinings has done with its blends as well - given tea drinkers a whole new world to dip in to, so to say. All in the form of its signature cocktails. So say ta to the hot brews and ready yourself for some heady, chilled concoctions that will leave you thirsting for more. Fruitberry cocktail A blissful blend of strawberry and mango with sparkling wine and elderflower. Often compared to traditional Greek sangria, this will sweep you off your feet and transport you to a secluded beach in Mediterranean Europe. Earl s choice Lavender and bergamot add flavour and aroma to this delectable cocktail. An incomparable combination of our Earl Grey and bourbon, or a blended scotch, this is a perfect companion for an elegant evening. Darjeeling toddy Darjeeling tea perfectly infused with Scotch and complimented with herbs and nutmeg. Do we need any other reason for celebration? Lady Grey martini Smooth, sultry, blissfully intoxicating. A cocktail experience concocted mixing Twinings Lady Grey with a liberal dash of aromatic gin, infused with the sweetness of honey and the tang of fresh lemon juice. We can t wait to get a taste of this one. Green tea lemon honey twister Vibrant and refreshing, this is a classic concoction of vodka and Twinings lemon and honey green tea. Just add a tinge of lemon juice and honey and blend till smooth. For a sip of this aromatic brew, step by at the Twinings Bar Counter Tea time Sips and chats Ian Gowlett, Managing Director, Twinings India, talks fashion and tea What s the connect between fashion and tea? Why partner with a fashion show? Twinings brings 300 years of experience and craftsmanship to the table, and it is this that sets us apart. Similarly, though fashion today can be accessed from little street stores to high-end boutiques, fine fashion experience comes with an experience and a heritage that is not easily accessible. This is what we are trying to bring out through this partnership. Twinings has always believed in creating fine, discerning experiences for its consumers. Right from the quality of its tea to its flavours to its interaction with consumers, it has tried to live up to this ideal. By sponsoring the show by Abraham & Thakore, the men behind the subtle and elegant designs of A&T, it hopes to strengthen this belief further. Also, it is a wonderful platform where the values of Twinings - craftsmanship and sophistication - can be brought alive visually by A&T s collection. Twinings was born when Thomas Twinings began selling tea from his premises at the Strand in London in It became one of the pioneering companies to introduce tea drinking to the British, and its equity and heritage has retained tea connoisseurs loyalty for more than 300 years now. Our partnership is aimed at keeping this legacy alive. For a sip of this aromatic brew, step by at the Twinings Bar Counter. Enjoy unique teas, tea cocktails and mocktails, specially crafted by the Twinings master blenders Eat in style The restaurants you can try out at the venue Smoke House Deli On your journey down the culinary avenue of Smoke House Deli, try vegetarian lasagne, spinach raviolli and penne arabiatta with smoked chicken. Barista Enjoy a fun-filled evening with your gang over a hot cup of caffe latte and chicken sausage roll. Market Cafe Enjoy Happy Hour with a beer bucket at `699 and a cocktail pitcher at `999 and unwind with your friends. TLC Kitchen If you are very conscious of your calorie intake, enter TLC Kitchen, which has a lot to offer to the healthconscious bunch. Gelato Enjoy the romance in the air this season with healthy, fat-free, fresh and delicious Gelato ice-cream. Bread and More Bread and More offers a wide range of more than 40 international breads and a host of exotic cakes and specialised confectionary products. 11

12 Buyer s lounge Get the conversation started Standards have gone up Hiba Al Ateeqi from Kuwait, the Managing Director of Darusha Boutique, has been a regular at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week since We caught up with this WIFW loyalist. What do you have to say about this edition of WIFW? I m pleasantly surprised by the set-up of the event this year. Standards have gone up drastically. The dresses are beautiful and captivating, the lounges sophisticated, and the venue truly grand. Everything is bigger and better. I say this to everybody that ever since Sunil Sethi took over as the president of FDCI, the quality of the Fashion Week has gone up. He is surely the man behind the increasing popularity of the event. Favourite designers I am looking forward to the collection of Amit Aggarwal, Vineet Bahl and Tarun Tahiliani. Designers you have worked with before I am in love with Sanchita s work, as her collection is always beautiful and unique. Her work ethic is impeccable and her whole team is very helpful. She is one designer I would love to work with again and again. Hiba Al Ateeqi loved Tarun Tahiliani s collection at his stall (above) By Meha Jayaswal While advertising is a key marketing tool, it is complemented by another effective instrument - public relations. Where advertising makes for one-way communication, PR generates dialogue among the target group. This is an era of free flow of information, thanks to the internet, and people are more aware of a product or a service. Hence, their taking any advertisement at face value is rare. So what potential consumers require are independent endorsements, discussions and services that help them take informed buying decisions. Gone are the days when fashion brands relied solely on advertisements. Now they also depend on PR tools, such as discussions on news channels, debates in schools and colleges, and articles in newspapers and magazines. Increasingly, fashion brands are exploring non-traditional media and embracing innovative ways of reaching out to consumers. Let s take some of the most innovative public relations campaigns of 2013 and explore what fashion brands caught the audience s attention. Take the case of Victoria s Secret. According to Victoria s Secret was the most popular brand in , beating established giants such as Levi s, Macy s and Old Navy. It generated a positive buzz and sustained it. Last year, its annual fashion show drew wider interest, mostly because of Taylor Swift s involvement. Her performance at the $12-million show caught the attention of fashion enthusiasts in more than 200 countries through all media formats, including print, Facebook, You- Tube and television. Soon, the show and its $10-million exhibit, The Royal Fantasy Bra, became the talk of the glitterati. Despite it costing $10-million, it generated curiosity and a level of mass hysteria that most fashion brands can t even dream of. The second interesting example is Chanel s most vocal and intelligent strategy for Public relations, the underrated cousin of advertising, has the potential of turning a campaign around when used cleverly - and that is what most fashion brands have been homing in on Prada cast a Kenyan-born, black model, Malaika Firth, in its ad campaign - and it grabbed eyeballs its best-selling perfume, Chanel No 5. A male celebrity, Brad Pitt, endorsing a female perfume, followed by the nostalgia of Monroe, got it more than 13 million views on YouTube. It caught the attention of writers, critics, columnists, bloggers and the Twitterati; debate raged around it. The campaign was spontaneous but planned intelligently. The company followed it up with an exciting campaign called Inside Chanel, projecting the most desirable woman of the 20th century, as the face of the classic perfume. The campaign opened pages from history by citing Monroe s famous quote of that she went to bed wearing nothing but Chanel No 5. Then came Louis Vuitton. The brand created a 30-ftx100-ft suitcase covered in iconic gold-on-brown pattern, designed to house an exhibit about travellers at Moscow s Red Square. The proceeds from this were to go to the Naked Hearts children s foundation of Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova. However, it sparked outrage among the Russians, generating some 18,80,000 search results on Ft.com, Bbc.com and Moscowtimes.com. It is said no news sells like negative news. Another example is Prada, where the PR strategy was to cast a Kenyan-born, black model, Malaika Firth, in its new ad campaign. This caught the media s attention - colour and race always do. Burberry and Target adopted more innovative, daring and contemporary ways to tap the masses. Burberry had a surprise last year with its digitally innovative Burberry Kisses campaign. It re-invented the love letter in digital form with a sealed-in kiss that was an exact reproduction of their unique lip-print. The technology used a simple webcam to capture the lip-print of the letter sender and imprint it on the digital letter. Users could also pick the shade of the kiss from Burberry s catalogue of lipstick colours. Easily one of the most innovative campaigns of 2013, this enjoyed weeks of publicity. Target, a retail giant, went a step further. The Tweet-to-Runway show was part of Target s larger Everyday Collection campaign, which brought together couture fashion with everyday grocery shopping. The real-time Tweet-to-Runway show was the team s way of getting people involved in the campaign. It was a great opportunity to interact with our guests via Twitter to tell their stories of how they bring these everyday products to life, the organiser said. The show inspired a wave of tweets, grabbed thousands of Facebook likes and inspired hundreds of blog posts. H&M, which is the second-largest-selling brand according to combined advertisement with PR strategy through its Beckham campaign. As Al Ries says in his book The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR, the quickest way to make your brand famous is by making the advertising famous. The high-street fashion retailer H&M announced a partnership with the footballing brand royalty David Beckham to initially launch his own underwear range through the Swedish retailer s global network of stores. The PR around the campaign drew fantastic coverage. This produced 79,000 search results, with the piece being reproduced as a story on fashion blogs. However, using a shorter search David Beckham H&M February Google returns an astronomical 891,000 results. There is no better example of how a company harnessed the mass appeal of its ambassador. Hence it s easy to see that advertising can catch the consumer s attention but, when combined with intelligent PR, it can be part of a larger social conversation. Meha Jayaswal is course leader, fashion media communication, Pearl Academy. 12

13

14 Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2014 March 26 30, 2014 Hall No. 18, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi SHOW SCHEDULE Day 1, Wednesday March 26, :30 PM Opening Show by Tarun Tahiliani MSA 2 5:45 PM Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal MSA 1 Vineet Bahl 7:00 PM Kiran Uttam Ghosh MSA 2 Raakesh Agarvwal 8:15 PM Shantanu & Nikhil MSA 1 9:30 PM Nokia presents Rina Dhaka MSA 2 Day 2, Thursday March 27, :00 PM Myoho by Kiran & Meghna MSA 2 Prama by Pratima Pandey Vaishali S 3:15 PM my village by Rimzim Dadu MSA 1 Kallol Dutta :30 PM Anand Bhushan MSA 2 Nachiket Barve 5:45 PM Amit GT MSA 1 Charu Parashar 7:00 PM Ashima-Leena MSA 2 8:15 PM Malini Ramani MSA 1 Nikasha 9:30 PM Rahul Mishra MSA 2 Day 3, Friday March 28, :00 PM Pia Pauro MSA 2 Urvashi Kaur 3:15 PM Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta MSA 1 Paromita Banerjee 4:30 PM Vogue India Fashion Fund presents Archana Rao MSA 2 5:45 PM Dev r Nil MSA 1 Rishta by Arjun Saluja 7:00 PM Payal Pratap MSA 2 Sanchita 8:15 PM Satya Paul MSA 1 9:30 PM Twinings presents Abraham & Thakore MSA 2 Day 4, Saturday March 29, :45 PM Chhaya Mehrotra MSA 1 Josh Goraya Rinku Sobti Saaj by Ankita by Shweta Kapur 2:00 PM Hemant & Nandita Tanvi Kedia 3:15 PM Rajputana by Samant Chauhan MSA 1 Zubair Kirmani 4:30 PM Soltee by Sulakshana Monga MSA 2 Virtues by Ashish, Viral & Vikrant 5:45 PM Mandira Wirk MSA 1 Rehane 7:00 PM Rabani & Rakha MSA 2 Siddartha Tytler 8:15 PM péro by Aneeth Arora MSA 1 9:30 PM Fiama Di Wills show MSA 2 Day 5, Sunday March 30, :45 PM Pinnacle Shruti Sancheti MSA 1 Tanieya Khanuja Taurus by Dhruv - Pallavi 3:15 PM Jenjum Gadi MSA 1 Mrinalini Sahil Kochhar 5:15 PM Anita Dongre MSA 1 9:30 PM Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Namrata Joshipura MSA 2 trend ho! FLOwer power While on the ramp, it was all about winter, dark colours and warm fabrics, outside, guests and designers were supporting summer florals. A touch of the previous winter maybe, when bold flowers were hot. Among the prints, we also spotted designer Nida Mahmood (centre) with blooms in her hair; trademark style! SAREE bindi Sarees ruled both the ramp and off it. While some draped it in a quirky style, others kept it traditional. Loved Anupama Dayal s (bottom right) saree style. Many sported the white bindi to voice their protest against child marriage. Space for map 14

15

16