The dichotomy of fashion

Somebody once told me that in fashion there is a persistent dichotomy between linear, architectonic design and design with a much stronger narrative element.
It���s the difference between clothes that remind you of aesthetics and clothes that remind you of the world. GABA takes you into the world of peasants in a perhaps European village. Scarves on the head and collars that spell female labour was the mood of this designer.
Still on the dichotomy of fashion. Bian (Gurpreet Bajaj) took us to New York. The show opened with contemporary clothes made of heavy lame and fur, with felt coats and trailed into ultra glamorous red carpet ensembles, the type you would see being worn to a Metropolitan museum event in New York. Each garment had a different name like Tyra, Eleonor and Kelly. I have always been partial to glamour worn right and ���Cleopatra��� with black sequin and crushed metallic bright gold was a ���die for dress���. Even in bad times be it recession or war, glamour and fashion allows you to dream!
Back to dichotomy and the other side of it, for the architecture of clothes, Rahul Reddy was a surprise element. A pat on his back for the combination of colours and textures like knit and quilting.
Pria Kataria, I must say has been getting better with every new collection. I always seem to be complementing Princess Francoise on what she wears, when she is in a ���Pria Kataria���.
I wondered on Day 3 what Lakme Fashion Week would be like with Naomi gone. Would the buzz remain or would it be sucked out like a deflated balloon? During a fashion week, having a fashion super celebrity like Naomi does a lot for the morale of the participants and speaks high of the organisers.
The cause for the city also gave enough reason to celebrate party and feel good about it. Naomi is on a mission, her next show is in Istanbul , however the biggie is in Moscow. Her billionaire Russian boyfriend, Vladislav Doronin, is helping her with this one and she was busy over the weekend making the list of powerful attendees, the likes of Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey. Naomi has cleared up her act and was focused for her cause. She had instructed IMG to clear the bar in her room before she arrived and was off alcohol. Besides a sip of champagne and a quite afternoon off to see a friend in the city. Naomi appeared ���perfect���. The only thing one heard people wailing about the endless hours of waiting around for her. I guess one would grant her that much!
The buzz however did not die! In fact, at Nandita Mehtani���s and Vikram Phadnis���s it was alive as ever. The two designers, keeping recession and ���cutting costs��� in mind had shared the 9 pm slot which usually showcases only one designer. The front row saw a large female Bollywood fraternity comprising Sushmita, Sridevi, Tabu, Raveena, Maliaka, Dia Mirza, Perizaad and Farah Khan. I met Shaimak Davar with his lovely mother who was there in support. Nandita Mahtani with her lame sexy dresses and Vikram Phadnis with his layers of embroidered velvet and brocade got quite a handsome applause!