Repeat Value

Should the multiplication of fashion events across India give licence to designers to repeat their collections on the ramp?

When the curtains came down on the finale show of the Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week (AVIBFW) mid-September, it left the crowd spellbound, especially with the acrobats, a swirling dervish and a belly dancer adding to the drama. Yet, those who follow fashion closely couldn't help but notice that couturier JJ Valaya's line evoked a strong sense of deja vu. This Turkey-inspired line called "Azrak", though with a few changes, had been shown by the designer earlier this year at the Wills India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter (WIFW) finale, and also at the Delhi Couture Week in August.

In an industry where new events and shows should define "movement", it is becoming increasingly clear that high-end fashion, presented with much grandeur, takes precedence over everything else, even if it entails the same creations being shown again. Another recent instance that hints at this is the Manish Arora show at the couture week where the designer admitted that his was, in fact, a pręt line and a "retrospective". This, in turn, gave him the licence to showcase some stunning, although old creations, from his shows at the Paris Fashion Week, going right back to his Spring-Summer 2008 line. "Most of these ensembles have never been shown in India before. Not everyone's been to my Paris shows and this was a good time for me to showcase what I do back in Paris," said the designer to

The Indian Express during the couture show.

Valaya, on his part, has a ready explanation too; he points out that WIFW Autumn-Winter 2012 being a "ready to wear week", he showed a pręt collection for the grand finale while Delhi Couture Week was all about couture. But he does concede that both lines had the same inspiration and several common ensembles too.

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