Not to miss the October deadline, the Fashion Design Council of India converted parts of its office building into a studio in a bustling industrial area of New Delhi. It created a stage, screens and bespoke lighting to facilitate shooting of fashion films and videos by the designers.
It wasn’t easy to meet the strict COVID-19 restrictions. The entire building was sanitized, as were the designers’ clothes.
Models, film crews, photographers, designers and the design council staff could step in after they tested negative for the coronavirus. Face masks were mandatory, except briefly, for the models onstage.
Some designers even chose to film in private farm houses, their own or leased for the purpose.
Designers participating in the fashion show include Varun Bahl, Tarun Tahiliani, Suneet Varma, Shivan and Narresh, Shantanu and Nikhil, Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Rina Dhaka, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Payal Jain, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Namrata Joshipura, Geisha Designs, Dhi, Ashish Soni and Abhishek Gupta.
The design council has created an online “designer showroom,” a dedicated space where designers can upload their look-books and hold virtual meetings with domestic and international buyers.
Tandon says online shows are here to stay. Still, people would prefer looking at an outfit physically, especially heavier and costly pieces, rather than gazing at the screen before making a decision to buy it.