The Voice Of Fashion Panel Discussion
There are always many exciting and informative discussions at Lakmé Fashion Week. At The Studio during Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019 ‘The Voice of Fashion’ the well-known and eagerly followed digital fashion magazine brought the live version of its interview format “Questions No One Asks”. The session was a lively interaction and exchange of ideas between the panellists and media on questions that are rarely asked.
It was a fashion event of its own kind as five pioneers of the Indian fashion industry came together on one platform seen together for the very first time. Moderating the discussion very professionally was Shefalee Vasudev, Editor, ‘The Voice of Fashion’ with panellists Wendell Rodricks, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Bal, Shahab Durazi and David Abraham who frankly answered the questions from Shefalee and the audience. This was Shahab Durazi’s first ever presence on a panel in the 31 years of his career.
The panel spoke on sponsorships, pressures of bringing in showstoppers, glamour, double speak, plagiarism, Bollywood influence, politics and innovation.
Questions on the profileration of fashion designers despite mediocre work, what is bad fashion, whether social media is the new mafia in settling plagiarism issues brought responses from Rohit Bal and Shahab Durazi. The importance of PR firms too was debated.Most panellists said they didn’t believe in having one but preferred that their work to do the talking. When it came to the question of balance between Bollywood showstoppers and fashion, many panellists felt that the most important thing on the ramp should be the clothes and the designers. Some of the other questions revolved around media responsibility and plagiarism.
Questions from the audience to the panellists were on appropriating tribal designs and craft, biodegradable packaging, designers losing their identity in lieu of making money.
The final rapid-fire round restricted to ‘yes’ and ‘no’ from the designers, were questions on need for an independent designer fund, scholarships for young designers, was the word ‘sustainability’ exploited and if there was the need to rethink the fashion industry after 20 years.
