By Rushil Khokhar & Keerti Kataria
Fashion weeks are about a lot of things- designers, models, cameras, editors, fashionistas, celebrities, stall-exhibits, too-much-coffee and egos. But that's if you're just floating on the surface of this behemoth celebration of craft and skill from our country. Beneath the extravagance and personage is a bevy of dedicated people working day and night to put together a show that lasts just about 15 minutes. You'll also find an incredible crowd roaming the aisles of fashion shows with a camera or a notepad in hand, curating everything and anything that catches their interest.
These bunch of masterminds have become an integral factor in understanding the nuances of Fashion Week; So if you're making your way to Pragati Maidan from the 9th to the 13th of October, make sure you look out for these faces- they're always up to something awesome.
Sita Wadhwani | Digital Editor for Vogue.in
{Image courtesy: www.estylista.com}
Make way for the lady paving the online path for one of our country's most sought after front covers and fashion magazine- Vogue. It's her brilliant mind at constant play that brought forth the fabulous Vogue videos which got the town talking from the get go.
Whether it's super models backstage, designers chilling by the lounge, bloggers clicking away to glory, or just the ever buzzing space of the fashion week, Wadhwani captures it, edits it, and uploads her wanderings around Fashion week during its course, keeping the coverage relevant and accessible. Who knows, you might get your 5 seconds of fame in one of her videos!
Sujata Assomull Sippy | Fashion Columnist & Brand Consultant
{Anupama Dayal and Cecile D'Ascoli with Sujata Assomull Sippy}
{Image courtesy: www.estylista.com}
When you talk of fashion journalism, Sujata's name is on top of everyone's list. She's the ex-editor for Harper Bazaar India and has written articles for Vogue, Elle, New York Times… and the list goes on. A highly respected journalist with absolutely no airs, her verdict on a show is one to watch out for. Her critique and reviews are well thought out and constructive- and this sense of discernment comes from the amount of time {over 15 years!} and passion she's given to understanding fashion and lifestyle in our country. Count on her to get the best of what goes up as a part of Fashion Week.
Manou | Photographer
{Image courtesy: www.thehindu.com}
Meet Manou. Ace photographer. Silent visionary. Armed with a camera in his hand, he captures the unconventional edge to a fashion week. I won't be exaggerating if I call him Scott Schuman's Indian counterpart. One look at his blog Wearabout and you'll know why he's gone on to become a favorite with the likes of Bandana Tewari and many others. From the lady cleaning the floor at the fashion week, to a fashionista, he curates everything and anything that catches his fancy. Make sure you check out his blog post Fashion Week- you'll be blown away by what he's captured.
Pujan K. Sharma | Backstage Manager
One word for the backstage area of a fashion show- chaos. Backstage at fashion week is utter, complete madness. People are running like it's a war zone, and everyone is in a frenzy. It takes nerves of steel to keep everything and everyone in order for the shows to be a smooth success. It would be an understatement to say that the one woman to who makes sure the shows are a success is Poojan Sharma. She's got a calm mind amidst a tornado, and makes sure the shows look fabulous. If you ever need a taste of what the world backstage feels like, she's your {wo}man.
Archana Akhil Kumar | Model
{Image courtesy: wearabout.wordpress.com}
Hailing from Bangalore, this beautiful, leggy, skinny model's often compared with Lakshmi Menon. Doppleganger claims aside, there's no taking away from how stunning and confident this young lady is- she's been signed on by Elite Paris, walked for Tarun Tahiliani, Satya Paul, Manish Malhtora, and graced the cover of ELLE, Grazia and Marie Claire in the last 5 months! There's no doubt she's the next big thing to take on Indian and international runways.
Notes in our Little Black Book |
Wills India Fashion Week, 9th-13th October
For more information, check out their website here.