Mumbai, July 20: An apprehensive Kiran Uttam Ghosh nonetheless oozes confidence as she awaits her turn to go under the spotlights at the Lakme India Fashion Week with her “Kimono” collection at the Jamshed Bhabha auditorium today afternoon. In between meeting with her buyers, collaborators, media and getting ready to “walk the plank” today the Kolkata-based designer took time off to share her thoughts with a section of the media here yesterday.
“I’ve spent two-and-a-half months intermittently in putting this show together and it’s been crazy and a lot of hard work and I’m really happy with it. If people can’t appreciate this then I’ve got nothing to say,” said Ms Ghosh while articulating her expectations of the audience reaction.

Another reason why the petite Kolkata designer is keeping her fingers crossed is because her new look, which reflects north-eastern and eastern tastes, borders “a bit on the bizarre” apart from being daring and raunchy. “It’s very sexy, with deeper necklines, higher slits, daring colours and body hugging clothes.” But all in all, “it’s very Kimono — that is my brand,” she emphasised.
Ms Ghosh’s collection of lungis, scarves, drapes, kurtis, embroideries and other mind boggling accessories have been sourced from the bylanes of Assam, Manipur and other far-flung places.
She however insists that she is less interested in the ramp showcase and more in the business of fashion. Which is why she is here in the first place — to do business. The business from the last Fashion Week kept her busy till the next January and she hopes that this foray to Mumbai will be equally productive.
The designer is just back from Rome where her collection of kurtis and other accessories was a runaway hit. Design houses like Renata Balestra and Valentino are now interested in ordering her lines and she also has markets in Dubai, London and the USA. “I’ve faced this thing initially of people looking down on you because of where you come from. I’m proud of being from Bengal though this is not a Bengali collection. But once they see your stuff then their whole attitude changes. My buyers know that my clothes sell and that is why they keep coming back to me,” she asserts modestly.
Lakme India Fashion Week meanwhile, continued yesterday with shows by Malini Ramani, Rohit Bal and Raghavendra Rathore, the royal from Jodhpur.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Today at Fashion Week:
11.00 AM: FDCI-DHLBusiness of Fashion Seminar Series
1.0 PM: Lina Tipnis Kimono by Kiran Uttam Ghosh
3.00 PM: Anamika Khanna Deepika Govind
5.00 PM: Manish Arora
7.00 PM: Arjun Khanna
9.00 PM: To Be Announced

Bureau Report