Ink-stained gowns wrap up Indian fashion week

A model presents a creation by Indian designers Rohit Bal at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2008 collection in New Delhi September 9, 2007.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters Life!) - With a tug of a cord, models stained their snowy white gowns with blue ink hidden in pockets during the close of one of India's main fashion events.

Designer Rohit Bal earned a standing ovation for his collection entitled "Siyaahi" -- ink in Urdu -- which was inspired by glazed Iznik tiles of ancient Turkey.

Despite the upbeat ending on Sunday to the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi, some participants and visitors complained major designers and buyers were both lacking, partly because the event clashed with New York Fashion Week.

Others said it was too parochial. "The fashion week was not too exciting this time as designers were too much local-oriented," said Kiichiro Motoyama, a buyer from Japan.

About 80 percent of sales are usually to Indian buyers, while five percent are to Britain and the United States, according to Rathi Vinay Jha, the director-general of event organizers Fashion Design Council of India. The rest goes to the Middle East.

Organizers said there were no figures yet for the amount of business done during the week. Buyers said most sales happen after the week ends.

Unlike fashion events held in Mumbai, India's entertainment capital, Delhi saw a fairly low-watt turnout of celebrities.

Actresses Shilpa Shetty, Lara Dutta, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora and Kangana Ranaut walked the catwalk, but Bal surprised the audience by getting fellow designers to model his clothes.

"During a fashion week, the real stars are the designers and clothes, not those from Bollywood," Bal said.

Besides inky gowns, Bal showed elegant chiffon dresses in blue, green and cream, while his collection for men involved traditional brocaded sherwanis -- long, formal jackets -- and linen trousers.

Earlier, Falguni and Shane Peacock showed a collection dominated by brightly colored balloon dresses and animal prints.

More than 40 designers showcased their spring and summer collections for 2008. For the first time since the inaugural fashion event was held in Delhi in 2000, the shows were held at a sprawling venue for trade fairs, instead of in luxury hotels.