Ushering into a new era of online fashion shows, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has announced their first-ever digital edition of the India Couture Week 2020.
The six-day long show (September 18-23) has an impressive line-up of top couturiers Amit Aggarwal, Anju Modi, Dolly J, Falguni Shane Peacock, Gaurav Gupta, JJ Valaya, Kunal Rawal, Manish Malhotra, Rahul Mishra, Reynu Taandon, Shantanu and Nikhil, and Suneet Varma.
“Three months ago we thought of going completely digital as there seemed to be no other way. Now things have improved dramatically, and the India Couture Week 2020 will be a mix of digital and physical. Also, the industry isn’t just about the designers. It’s about the artisans, tailors, hair and make-up artists, backstage staff, tailors, photographers. and we need to support them. Maybe instead of 16 models we will work with eight, and record shows beforehand,” says FDCI Chairman, Sunil Sethi, adding, “At the end of the day, do not expect just CGI models walking.
Rather expect creative presentation by the designers.” Designers are prepping up ramps from their atelier, farmhouses, historical place of importance and FDCI’s studio. Each of them, informs Sethi, is trying something new with couture films/videos and supporting content. These films will be streamed on FDCI’s social media platforms and the FDCI website. “We have given a freehand to the designers as long as their show is not ‘a halfan- hour long movie’ as people don’t have that much patience on social media,” says Sethi. Given the ongoing global pandemic, safety remains top priority.
“The event management industry has released many SOPs. However, our shows are on a smaller scale and the India Couture Week is not a physical event. We are following the basics along with certain additional rules and have put them in writing as well. We have done model auditions in our space for a couple of designers and Suneet Varma has shot in our office recently with 6-8 models. We are using different rooms and have devised our own safety regime to keep everyone comfortable,” informs Sethi.
With the emphasis being on finding a refreshing new take on couture, the official hashtag is #DecodingCouture accompanied by a graphic theme of ‘waves’, signifying the ripples created by the digital medium in the global fashion industry. However, Sethi points out that the digital format won’t survive on its own once normalcy returns. “A physical show will never lose its importance as the excitement of watching a live show is different.
However, these four months of living with COVID has taught me how we can address a much larger audience through the digital medium, something no one is willing to give up. At the end of the day, everyone wants to reach a larger audience. Hence, the two formats will continue growing together,” concludes Sethi.