Fashion show in the new normal
Fashion show is an integral event of the fashion industry to present and showcase the work of designers. ‘The Wedding Day’, which was a bridal fashion show conducted by PSY Fashion and A7 entertainment at Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru on 3rd April 2021 was an event that was very much looked forwarded to as it was one of the first fashion show organised during the pandemic and post lockdown. The event was meticulously planned and organised by the Sheraton Grand Hotel and it was conducted under the strict guidelines issued by the public health commission and the local government. Presenting the work of six designers, out of which three namely Annapurna Goswami, Bhavana Kamisetti and Jagdish K. were the alumni of JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru, the show was organised in a way that complied with social gathering demands of Covid. The show was a testimony as to how fashion shows can still be conducted without compromising on the health and safety concerns of its participants.
Collection from Bhavana Kamisetti and Jagdish K.
Following the norms of social distancing in a public event such as a fashion show can be challenging, considering the fact that such events were suspended for more than a year because of the pandemic. However, the hotel and the organisers put this into effect by installing circular stands at regular intervals to distribute the crowd gathering. Seating arrangements both inside and outside the fashion show halls were placed a distance from each other for this purpose. There was thermal checking at the entrance of the hotel and the show, and the participants and the audience were requested to keep their masks on the whole time. The importance of these conditions were readdressed during the event as well by the delegates through announcements. Moreover, the hotel’s administration of these measures not only at the fashion show venue, but throughout the whole hotel in itself reinforced the seriousness of the situation and in promoting a safe space for gathering and celebration.
Collection from Govind Kumar Singh and Asif Merchant
Fashion show celebrate the seasonal work of designers and as fashion is a creative practice that is responsive to the current climate of the world, the collections presented by the designers also celebrated innovative ways of facial coverings through a presentation that was socially distanced. The measures taken by Sheraton Grand Bengaluru as well as its partners and organisers was crucial for conducting an event of such a scale and for making it a success in the midst of Covid. The participation of various industry delegated as well as other important attendees further add to the fact that organising and conducting such shows do not have to come at the cost of celebration and for sharing and promoting the creative work of designers. ‘The Wedding Day’ presenting the bridal fashion collection of the city’s most promising designers was an ode to their creative ingenuity, which needs to be celebrated now more than ever to recognise the innovative potential of fashion as an agent of change, social community and wellbeing.
