Fashionista v/s Recessionista!

I predict this is going to be the most gloriously unapologetic fashion week of the season.
Everyone is talking about the ���Mai Mumbai��� show tonight which is going to spell fashion for a cause. Nothing happened for months after 26/11 in this city, and I dare say there is nothing like the pulse of fashion to get the engines started. We are back in business again at the Lakme Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2009.
The show of solidarity ���Mai Mumbai��� is partnered with Naomi Campbell���s ���Fashion for Relief��� and presented by Vikram Chatwal Hotels in support for justice and peace, and is going to have both of them walk the ramp. Besides that Farhan Akhtar, Ujwala Raut, Feroz Gujral, Rahul Khanna, Arjun and Mehr Rampal, Gregory David Roberts, Madhu Sapre and moi are going to be strutting the ramp this evening.
The Indian designers too will be well represented from both Delhi and Mumbai. Fine show of solidarity and thank God for that! Amongst the international designers I was privy to seeing some of the gorgeous ensembles that Naomi organised for the show. For me there is a tussle between Elie Saab and Roberto Cavalli. A party will follow the celebrated show.
Through the week I am looking forward to seeing Sabyasachi, the Accessory Show, Gen Next (my all time favourite, if I make early morning after the late night), more jeans by Tarun Tahiliani and the young Sunaina Puri, who is introducing her collection ���Armaan��� on the last day. Bian, Geisha Designs, Gaba and Nachiket are usually brialliant. Rumour has it that Shah Rukh Khan may walk for Manish Malhotra���s show inspired by his IPL team. That should be a biggie!
All that said, is flamboyance on the ramp going to be streamlined with recession? Are times going to reduce the frills of fashion? No doubt, this time we are going to see dark hues of metallic fabric on the ramp. Does that spell the mood of the economy?
Most designers have created intelligently. Nandi has cut down on embroidery as well as price, keeping glamour intact. Pria Kataria has used bold prints instead of embellishments. Neeta Lulla has named her collection ���Chiconomics���, Gaurav Mahajan of Westside agrees with the concept that recession amplifies pr��t.
So be set to see glamour with economy! Some designers have kept price points low, others have given more value for money, making it more special for the same price, and a lot of them have kept styles more classic, enabling the buyer to wear the garments into several seasons. So fashionista move over and make way for the recessionista!