The exciting week of witnessing the high-end fashion at prestigious India Couture Week 2024 culminated on Wednesday in New Delhi. The event, with 14 shows, featured stunning collections from some of India’s most renowned designers. Celebrities strutted down the runway for these designers bringing star power to the celebration of fashion.

Masoom Minawala, social media personality who recently wowed at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, shared her thoughts on this year’s India Couture Week. One of her takeaways was the historic moments created by the designer Tarun Tahiliani. His Otherworldly collection featured intricate embroideries combined with modern techniques which created a lot of buzz in the fashion world. However, the high demand to witness the show left many A-listers outside the venue. Tahiliani decided to repeat the show to accommodate the eager crowd, making history by doing so. Praising this gesture, Minawala wrote, “It was a testament to his commitment to honoring the very people who sustain his business. Respect.”

From Aditi Rao Hydari shining for Jayanti Reddy to Rashmika Mandanna and Vicky Kaushal headlining the ICW finale for Falguni Shane, the fashion event saw a plethora of famous faces. However, Minawala questioned the focus on celebrity appearance rather than the designs, writing, “Are we here for the stars or the stitches? Why does majority coverage of ICW enter around the celebrities showstopping a collection that’s taken an insane amount of artisans & marketers to bring alive. After all, there’s a fine line between using celebrity power effectively and letting it eclipse the artistry.”

She also addressed the issue of buyers at prestigious fashion events. Instead of focussing on actual buyers, these shows often highlight influential people whose connections help ensure sales.

“Where’s the couture cash? Where are the buyers? And how are the designers reaching them because I don’t think they’re sitting in the front row? But in reality, the clout that is sitting front row is so influential through their own channels or publications – the messaging of the show is trickling down to the deeper pockets of the Indian couture clientele (read: smaller towns/NRI’s). So whether they’re there or not; the sales are booked.”

Next up, Minawala raised important questions regarding the role of influencers at such high fashion events. She asked whether sitting in the front row in fashionable outfits was enough to make an impact.

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“What is the role of the influencer at ICW? And how can designers and PR make capital out of their rather dedicated communities? I don’t think sitting in the front row in lehengas cuts it. It’s a question to pose towards my own industry as well – what could we do at a platform like this that would drive impact? The same opinions echoed across platforms felt like a digital dejà vu. One person speaks, and suddenly it’s the only opinion online. Where are the – authentic voices challenging the norm?”

She also suggested giving emerging designers a chance to showcase their work at ICW. She proposed this idea to the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), allowing new talents to present their unique designs.

In conclusion, Minawala acknowledged the presence of traditional attires but emphasised that India Couture Week offered much more. “But there was also the allure of Amit Aggarwal’s drapes and curves. AJSK’s original music that they gently urged their guests to use in their posts about the show. There was Rimzim’s youthful femininity that you know will go a long way beyond our borders,” she wrote.