Fashion week is my favorite holiday of the year. Everybody and everything is in a frenzy. Designers giving finishing stitches to their collections, editors reviewing their outfits day after day, and bloggers shining their boots and charging their cameras to take over the action!For all those who think this is fun, let me tell you that fashion week is a bitch! From keeping the designer names straight, to concentrating on #ootd, the mind is in a constant tizzy. And, that’s the way we love it.There are a lot of interesting shows lined up this coming Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai to be held between August 23 to 27, 2013. LFW takes pride in introducing new talent so it will be interesting to see what it has to offer this time around. Sabyasachi is gracing the grand finale this season, and here’s hoping his collection makes us forget all about the Cannes debacle. For all those of you attending fashion week this season, there are a few basic necessities you need to be armed with. Let’s call it the Fashion Week survival kit.
• PHONE: An iPhone to keep you Instagram/Twitter account updated with multiple pictures in the Hyatt bathroom. Don’t forget the charger.
• CAMERA: Preferably a DSLR to capture weirdos. Trust me, you will find plenty.
• MAKE-UP: Red Lipstick to keep that pout from looking dull because your photograph is likely to appear in some blog, somewhere on the face of the earth. I trust Russian Red by Mac for the lips.
• DIARY: A diary and a pen, for when technology fails you.
• OVERSIZED SUNNIES: They come in handy to hide those sleepy, tired eyes after nights of after parties. Round frames are trendy this season, so channel the Olsen twins.
• CIGARETTES: Enough smokes to last a century or kill you. Whichever comes first.
• FUEL : Massive quantities of coffee to fuel you. Or champagne for the rich.
• TAMPONS: Throw in a tampon for good measure. Someone will definitely ask you for one. No we are not channeling “Sex In The City,” although it did get Carrie Bradshaw that enviable reservation.
• ATTITUDE: You need this in wholesale.
• TOTE: A medium sized tote, to carry all the above with you.
Tip: Keep ‘em air kisses coming. Air kisses are a way of life. Like Buddhism. Or vegan-ism.
Shortly after fashion week concludes, with just a week to recuperate from all the fashion sickness comes VFNO. Vogue Fashion’s Night Out. FNO takes place worldwide from Manhattan to Moscow, and for the very first time is being held in Mumbai. Delhi has had exclusive reigns over it for the last five years, but this time it’s being hosted at Palladium and I know us Mumbaikars will rock it like nobody can. What is FNO? I have been jabbering about this only to receive quizzical looks from most people. For those of you who don’t know what it is all about, FNO is a fashion extravaganza hosted by Vogue and the brain-child of none other than Anna Wintour. The aim was to get people excited about shopping again, after shoppers’ shop-drive took a dip after the recession.The night is marked with great deals and exclusive merchandise and designs at slashed prices. One can buy a specially designed Sabyascahi FNO t-shirt for Rs 500 or a Manish Arora FNO tote for as less as Rs.800.If you are not one for designer products, high-street brands like Zara and Guess have offers as well, along with a complimentary glass of champagne. From free massages to cupcakes, each store has something unique to offer. You will find yourself mingling with all of the fashion industry and celebrities who will all be displaying their mega watt smiles. The night promises to be a fashion frenzy and it is not something you want to miss. It’s a night of shopping accompanied by food and drinks to conclude the holiday. It’s going to be a fortnight full of fashion, and my mind is officially in holiday mode.
- VFNO Mumbai will be held on Septmeber 5, Palladium, Lower Parel. Entry free.
