Two weeks back, when I received the invitation from the Ministry of Textiles to attend the brainstorming session on the formation of the new fashion body, I had mixed feelings of both joy and bewilderment. Joy because for a long time, we at FDCI, had been looking for the Government support to take the industry forward - innumerable visits were made knocking the doors of various Ministers to get the support and help for the fashion industry and this invitation invoked the inner joy that at last the things could be worked out. The feeling of bewilderment was invoked by the unanswered question- ‘Why the new council?’
As I sat amongst many of my designer friends and listened to the various speakers, suddenly my thoughts went to the banner on the stage, behind the panel of distinguished guests including our Honorable Textile Minister Mr. Vaghle. The banner was clear - Brainstorming Session for the Formation of ‘India Fashion Council’. The three words struck me and I realized that they were also the part of ‘Fashion Design Council of India’….then why this divide?
‘India Fashion Council’ is already contained in ‘Fashion Design Council of India’… then why this wall? Why can’t we be one? Isn’t it the same opportunity of the Government initiative and support, that we as FDCI Body have been waiting for? Has the opportunity at last come, but with the tag of another Council, sinking all of us at FDCI in insecurity?
The FDCI has been on its own for more than a decade, standing tall, all by itself. It works from rented space, first from Saket and now from Gurgaon, fighting out the huge rentals of the space, FDCI made sure that its Designer Members get their business rolling. Nights after nights and endless days, are spent in chalking out the list of buyers, their credentials, their schedule of arrival and the arrangements for their stay…..The magnitude of work before Fashion Week is unimaginable, right from finalizing the participating designers, to the audition of the models, to selection of choreographers, to set design, to makeup, allotment of music, to allocation of stalls for the shows….the list is endless.
With no permanent venue, months before the fashion week, the hunt for the venue starts and we run from pillar to post, under the pressure to find the best for both the designers and the buyers. During the fashion week, to create the infrastructures, within the venue is extremely difficult - one has to provide the best facilities for all the buyers, media, designers, talent teams, models and visitors in terms of food etc. This repeats fashion week after fashion week and at the end one realizes that we as designers create not only beautiful collections but also beautiful ‘fashion weeks’, which marks our presence and growth of this industry not only in our own country but recognized in the whole world.
I think, we as designers and FDCI, as a Body, have given a lot to our country. We quietly kept on contributing to our Country even as our stores at MG1 & MG2 were bulldozed, which brought, not only our buildings down, but also our dreams and our livelihood; we quietly watched from under the debris, with no one to wipe our tears……..We quietly drank our sorrows without complaining…We quietly walked away with all the pain in our hearts, in search of new retail spaces, where we had to pay more than four times – but we still did not complain. When people thought there would be no fashion week after the demolitions, we still gathered our courage, worked night after night and still gave one of the best fashion weeks to our Country.
I remember as a young girl, the words of Mrs. Gandhi, who, in one of her powerful speeches said, ‘Don’t think what your country has given to you, but always think what you have given to your Country?’. I think we, as designers and FDCI, as a body, have given our selfless best to the Country, but now its time for the Country to give us something in return. If the government has decided to support Fashion, then it is we and our Body, which deserve it the most…..because we have worked, we have proved and we have given to our Country
Today, if we are given our office and our own permanent convention centre for the Fashion Week, on the land of the world class Fashion City, we can absorb the India Fashion Council and not only 3000 budding designers, that we are talking of, but 30,000 more. The government has strength to give us the infrastructure and we have the strength of talent and creativity along with experience.
Combining all this together, FDCI can create not one Rohit Bal but a hundred, not one JJ, but a hundred and not one Tarun, but a hundred. Along with the strength of the Government and the FDCI, with all its members- we can fulfill our long cherished dream of making state of the art Fashion City, before the Common Wealth games to be held in 2010 and yet have another feather in our cap….when the present of the Fashion Industry is facilitated with the infrastructure, the future of thousands of its young designers will automatically be shaped…..then why another Council?
When the present becomes strong, the future is taken care of. When the FDCI achieved roaring success and developed the business of Fashion and brought our Country to the Fashion map of the World, without any support from the Government; given the support and infrastructure by the Government, it would take the industry to an unimaginable level.
(Author detail: Leena Singh is a renowned fashion designer and former board member, FDCI)
