India's Take on Digital Fashion Shows- A Hit or A Miss?

Indian fashion weeks have always been synonymous with front rows packed with A-listers, models sashaying down the ramp, celebrity showstoppers dressed in exquisite designer wear and the paparazzi clicking each second of the grandeur showcase.

But with the pandemic striking in full force, the fashion industry, too, has been hit hard and is now trying to find a footing in the new normal. As a result, shows have gone virtual and the ramps have been replaced with green screens and real-time compositions that track the motion of view so that the audience — now comfortably seated in their living rooms — can witness the magic up close with access to vantage points.

Fashion Shows in India

Until now, the Indian fashion fraternity has put up three virtual fashion shows — India Couture Week, The Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour and the recently-concluded Lakme Fashion Week — with each of them enthralling the audiences from across the country and abroad. But, it has been no mean feat. Presenting a physical experience in a virtual way has its own set of challenges and protocols. Numerous re-dos to get that one perfect shot, constant sanitisation and health tests, are some of the many precautions being taken to ensure the show goes on, safely.

“The key word for fashion weeks in the coming years will be “phygital” as technology will play a key role in merging both the physical and digital worlds creating a fashion event that is more aware of the world we live in and is able to better adapt to an ever-evolving normal,” says Jaspreet Chandok, head of lifestyle businesses, IMG Reliance. While Lakmé Fashion Week already runs in an in-season format, they are observing design houses moving to a more season-fluid model, with lesser and sharper showcases. “We are planning to have an online model audition for LFW and will look at some of our pre-events also becoming digital,” adds Chandok. He also tells us that IMG Reliance is putting in efforts to create an interface that will enable a virtual environment that connects designers to both retail stores and directly to the consumer.

“This is here for good,” concludes Sethi. Until then, we are waiting in anticipation of a creativity-led and environmentally-sound format of fashion in India. Perhaps, a hybrid model of reality and digital will pave the way in that direction. India’s take on digital fashion shows- A hit or A miss?

Indian Digital Fashion Shows

I believe that fashion will continue to evolve and if the industry doesn’t accept the new changes anytime soon, it shall make them redundant. I think the current scenario presents an opportunity for the tech and fashion space to come together in a never-seen-before format which, from just being fashion shows on the digital platform, will very soon move to virtual reality. So, I think the future is bright for tech and fashion to collide and create a new design of fashion interface not just limited to shows. “Today, tech is enabling people to have rich and luxurious experiences, virtually. With the right tech integrations, the virtual experience can be a rich and exclusive, mirroring an in-person experience. The touch and feel of Indian craftsmanship is just as important.”

All said and done the essence of Indian style and fashion will surely prevail and whether digital or physical Indian Fashion will keep moving forward with full force.