When fashion crossed borders

CHENNAI: The two-day conference of the IFFTI saw a congregation of feted designers, style gurus and fashion educators from across the globe discussing their thoughts and vision on the business of fashion in the pink city of Jaipur. It was an international platform, as the theme of the conference – Fashion beyond Border – suggested, and fashion-inclined Indians- style gurus and fashion educators- were seen picking up tips, discussing business with delegates from Africa and listening to speeches of graduates from the fashion capital – Paris. One could sense the disappointment when it was announced that fashion designers Manish Arora from India and Romeo Gigli from Italy couldn’t make it to the event. But it was Simon Lock, creative director, Dubai Fashion Week, who made up for their absence with his speech explaining the evolution of the fashion week across the globe. Also significant was a presentation by Rajeev Sethi of the Asian Heritage Foundation,  which focuses on traditional practises, which focused on what if traditional textiles were forgotten in the name of multicultural identities. His slideshow on how mirror works of Rajasthan were incorporated in Alexandar McQueen’s designs was proof of how fashion could truly transcend borders.Chennai managed to make its presence felt at the conference, with the participation of 30 students from the Pearl Academy of Fashion, Chennai. Chennai is one of the three venues in the country that houses PAF, the others being New Delhi and Jaipur. Studying fashion is not just the ramp walk, but an employment opportunity, said S Ramalingam, director of PAF Chennai. It is obvious that no fashion event concludes without a ramp show and IFFTI conference was no different. The two-day conference saw an offsite fashion show put up by the students of Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF).