THE REAL SHOWSTOPPERS
On World Fashion Day, we celebrate the people behind the fashion shows, who make an event and garment look glamorous and fashionable
Afashion week or show is in the spotlight because of the extravagant showcases created by designers. But every successful show is the result of the hard work of the people behind the scenes. From the show director, to the tailors and makeup artistes, everyone plays an important role to make the event a success. On the occasion of World Fashion Day (August 21), we take a look at the real showstoppers, and have experts from the industry share their views on how empowering people behind the shows is the only way to take the fashion industry to greater heights.
BRIDGING THE GAP
At the recently concluded Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2017, there was a number of designers who collaborated with craftsmen and artisans. And it wasn’t just the garments that stole the show — it was the presence of the craftsmen walking alongside the designer that made heads turn. It’s a rare moment when you witness the people behind the scenes in the limelight.
Craftsman Shohel Khatri from Gujarat tied up with the label The Pot Plant by Resham Karmchandani and Sanya Suri. Elated by the response from the audience, he says, “We have never experimented with garments earlier, so this collaboration has been a great opportunity for us. They [designers] understood the craft and its limitations. I believe that only if the designers understand the artisan’s technique and process of work that the collaboration is fruitful.”
Similarly, Sarfaraz Khatri of Pracheen, a block printing unit, was overwhelmed with the response he got at the event. “We gotot an opportunity to meet and showcasee our product to thee designers we used to only hear about. The responserespons has been great,” he says, adding,adding “For a craftsman, a platform like this boosts hhis imagination imagination. Generally, a craftsman has a comfortcomfor zone he likes to work in, but a challenge or an event like this gives him an opportunity tot work outsideoutsid his comfort zone.”
A STITCH IN TIME
According to fashion designer Sunita Shankar, you can train a tailor t to suit your expectations. “Don’t look for tailors in the city. Look for them in towns or villages, and by doing so you will generate employment as well. They don’t need to migrate to the cities. They can be empowered in the villages itself with the work,” says Shankar.
Footwear designer Nupur Chaudhuri did a lot of sampling work from different artisans before starting her label. “After four months of scouting for the right team, I found them. I knew it would work long-term, because not only did they understand my design and vision, but they also said: ‘We’ve never done something like this before but we want to do this because we want to learn and grow’. And that attitude is prevalent even today. It’s been three years of working together. They understand what I like, and even for urgent orders, they’ve executed without my supervision.”
Fashion designer Kriti Tula of Doodlage, is also of the same opinion, when it comes to her tailors. She says, “They [tailors and embroiders] come from different backgrounds and mindsets, but have immense potential and caliber.”
EMPOWERING TALENT
Taking another step to let consumers know who made their clothes are Sarah Ditty and Suki Dusanj of Fashion Revolution. “When customers ask brands who made my clothes, it encourages them to be more transparent about their supply chains, about the people who made their clothes or products, and how the products were made.”
According to Dusaj, people who make their clothes for bigger brands are often invisible to customers. Referring the fatal industrial accident in the Rana Plaza factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which claimed the life of 1,138 workers, Dusaj says, “It is time we worked towards making working conditions safer and fairer for the workers.”
WHAT’S IN A NAME
Nachiket Barve and Rahul Mishra are among the few Indian designers who never shy away from giving credit to their respective tailors. Shraddha Kapoor who walked for Mishra was impressed with the fact that the designer acknowledged his team for their effort, which is a rare thing to do.
“I don’t think people working on a show don’t get the credit; most of the times they do. There are a few times when an event company is doing the production and they take all the credit for themselves instead of giving it to the show director or the stage or makeup team artistes. In such cases, you do wish that due credit was given to the people behind the scenes,” says fashion choreographer Lubna Adams.
We got an opportunity to meet and showcase our product to the designers we used to only hear about. SARFARAZ KHATRI, ARTISAN