Fort to turn fashion hub

The Amber Fort in Jaipur, which was till now known for its architectural grandeur and also as one of the main tourist attractions of the city, will soon be a seat of high fashion.
Information available exclusively to JT reveals that the state government is planning a fashion and food hub at the Amber Fort, where India���s A-line designers and well-known food chains will both set up their shops.
���We are aiming to transform the place into a cultural and fashion hub, we have allocated some space in front of the art gallery inside the fort, to internationally renowned designers from India. Also, branches of some well-known restaurants will come at the venue,��� confirms S. Ahmad, principal secretary, art and culture of the government of Rajasthan. The list of designers who will be displaying their creative brilliance in this royal ambience includes names like Raghavendra Rathore, Ritu Kumar, Meera & Muzaffar Ali, Rohit Bal, and Neeru Kumar among others.
Confirming his presence at this new high-end designer hub, Rathore, who was in Jaipur recently to supervise the work of his store at Amber, told JT, ���I am expecting my store to be ready and open for my clients within the next 20 days.��� Thus, by end of December, both Jaipurites as well as international visitors will have a scope to pick up clothes from Rathore���s label. The designer also says that he is keeping the look of the store in line with the feel of the place. ���One doesn���t have to do much with the ambience of the outlet because it is a heritage property,��� Rathore adds. Extremely excited about the endeavour, the style guru beams, ���Standing at the edge of the Fort I felt extremely proud, as it is a great opportunity to showcase a sensible range of products, not only clothes, that would give a glimpse of our culture and tradition to guests, both domestic and foreign. Also, I would get a chance to work with fashion graduates and non government organisations and work on things that are typical to Rajasthan ��� prints, motifs, fabrics and techniques.��� He also added that twice a month cultural activities could be organised to give a brush of our culture to the visitors.
The designer has already proposed that the couture fashion week should be held at Amber every year, given the relevance of the venue for showcasing high-end products. ���What can be a better place than a palace to showcase luxury items to a high-end audience?��� asks Rathore. The government too seems to be keen to take on this proposal. ���We are all for it,��� says Ahmad. With recession affecting the market and consumer behaviour does he think the endeavour would be worth it? We ask, ���I think the whole colour of fashion would change, as those who showcase abroad would be affected adversely, the most. Hence, the focus would shift to Indian clothes and clients, much more. If planned and executed well, the place could become a hub for fashion and cultural activities,��� reasons Rathore.
Although, the designer belongs to the desert state he is not a regular to Jaipur but says the place is very close to his heart. ���I don���t get to visit the Pink City frequently because of my busy schedule but it���s extremely impressive to see that a lot of restoration work goes on here all the time.���
Raghavendra Rathore
���Standing at the edge of the Fort, I felt extremely proud, as it is a great opportunity to showcase a sensible range of products, not only clothes, that would give a glimpse of our culture and
tradition to guests, both domestic and foreign���