Kolkata designers gear up for fashion week

Kolkata, Sep 9 (IANS) Based in a city little known as a fashion destination, local designers are rating two fashion weeks in a space of five months in Kolkata as a windfall of sorts.

As they gear up to showcase their collection in the five-day Kolkata Fashion Week (KFW)-II beginning Wednesday, the designers feel the event will bring them good business and facilitate tie-ups with buyers.

This is the second KFW in the city after the April session, where the Autumn-Winter collection was showcased.

One of the renowned fashion designers of the city, Mona Lamba of the Monapali duo, told IANS: 'We feel very good about this event happening in the city. It helps us a lot. We don't have to carry bag and baggage to showcase our collection to some other city. It is happening at our doorstep.'

KFW-II will showcase the Spring-Summer collection of over 40 designers across India, among whom 16 are participating for the first time.

Happy that the KFW is happening in the city, designer Soumitra Mandal told IANS: 'The fact that it is happening in our hometown itself provides us with good opportunities to present our creations to our personal clients.'

Mandal, who participated in the last five sessions of Lakme Fashion Week, will be showcasing his Spring-Summer collection 2010 only in KFW-II.

The theme of KFW-II is 'Earth Couture' which celebrates India's ethnic roots. This theme was adopted in view of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation declaring 2009 'The International Year of Natural Fibre'.

The Kolkata designers are confident that the event will facilitate business tie-ups for them with various buyers.

'We can expect some international, besides national buyers taking part in the event,' Mandal said, who will be showcasing his ready-to-wear western wear.

Saying that the idea of any fashion week is to boost the fashion industry as a whole, Nil of Dev r Nil fame, told IANS: 'Any organised event like the KFW gears up the entire fashion industry.'

He said such fashion shows provide huge scope to the designers, adding: 'These events validate the importance of the city as a designer-made apparel seller.'

Upbeat city-based designer Abhishek Datta told IANS: 'It's a wonderful platform. By having events like this awareness about designer clothes can be spread to buyers. This is something more than entertainment. It helps put Kolkata on the national map of fashion shows.'