Fashion clashing as India puts on the glitz

A model presents a creation from Indian designer Manish Arora's Spring/Summer 2009 collection at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi October 19, 2008.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - There may be a global financial crisis going on, but in India, one of the engine rooms of the world's pre-crash production boom, there is a clash of the flash fashion.

Three high-profile fashion weeks vie for attention in October with no shortage of glitz and glamour to beguile local and oversees buyers.

Two of India’s premier fashion events clashed in New Delhi last week while a third, the Lakme fashion week in Mumbai, kicked off on Monday.

International buyers said the country’s designers were in sync with global trends in fashion, and their creations met international standards.

I think they lack in nothing, Jessica, a buyer from American retailer Anthropologie, told Reuters.

And there was no sign of the global credit crunch at the earlier Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week and Delhi Fashion Week, where spring-summer collections for 2009 featured an eclectic mix of jumpsuits, high-waisted pants and short tunics with Indian motifs and geometric prints.

Sumeet Nair, head of the Delhi Fashion Week, said it might be a good opportunity for Indian fashion designers to offer international buyers trendy clothes at low prices and make inroads abroad.

TRULY INDIAN

Indian fashion, with its legacy of handicraft, colour and durable motifs, has garnered growing global appreciation, and some designers at the fashion weeks showcased the best of fabric and craftsmanship from the country.

The designer trio of Ashish, Viral and Vikrant espoused the cause of the kota fabric, a light, airy natural fabric that they say is perfect for summer.

Newcomers like Urvashi Kaur used a lot of Indian fabrics without prints or embellishments -- a rarity in the country’s fashion circles -- while designer duo Parvesh and Jai dipped into unfamiliar waters with a separate line of beachwear -- a rarity in India.

All that the Indian designers need now is better finishing of their clothes, said Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council of India, which organised the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.