New Delhi, Oct 24 (Inditop.com) Fashion designers at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) are heaving a sigh of relief as the venue has been shifted back to the “good old and practical” Pragati Maidan for the 14th edition.
The last edition was held at the Eros Intercontinental Hotel at Nehru Place to add a dash of luxury and to cater for “clean washrooms” for the international buyers at the event, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) president Sunil Sethi had told Inditop.
But the multi-level set up at the hotel and lack of elevators did not go down well with either the designers or the buyers.
Fashion designer Kavita Bhartiya is visibly happy with the arrangements in this edition as she was spotted decorating and setting up her stall.
“Thank god we’re back at Pragati Maidan. We are so used to this place – it’s definitely more spacious. That hotel concept was awful, it was really horrible,” she told Inditop.
According to Nandita of designer duo Hemant-Nandita, the present venue exudes more professionalism.
“This place is professional. I am glad that the exhibition area is one huge hall where the buyers can see every designer’s outfits in one go rather than going to different rooms which was the case in the hotel last time. I think it is very well organised this time,” she said.
There’s also young fashion designer Nida Mahmood who feels the event will be more business-oriented this season.
She said: “I agree that the Eros Intercontinental hotel offered more luxury in the sense that we had attached bathrooms to our stalls, but at the end of the day, it was all very chaotic. Going up and down the packed elevators was a pain. Whereas, here, I feel there is so much space and since all designers are exhibiting at a specific area, it will be a more business oriented event.”
Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena duo agrees. She had a query from a London-based buyer at 10 a.m. on the first day itself, owing to the visibility of each designer’s creations on a common platform.
Mahmood is also appreciative of the artistic installations that have been put up in and around the venue.
While there is a large cube of lights at one place, there is a metal figure of a man with a sewing machine at another. There are also enough seats as well as two separate exhibition areas for clothes and accessories, unlike in previous editions.
“The installations are really nice this time. It’s nice that clothes and accessories have been given a different space. It looks nice and well spread out,” she said.
WIFW is being held here Oct 24-28. A total of 110 designers and 175 buyers are participating in the event.
While 70 out of 110 designers have put up their stalls, the rest will showcase their collections on the ramp.
