A Manish Arora creation
- AP PhotoPrt-a-robber

Whats fashion week without at least one smudge of plagiarism? Merely inspired or copied is a space that is divided by the finest thread.

Yesterday morning, when Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) opened their office, they found all the photocopied press releases that had been made for the Manish Arora show in the dustbin.

And in its place, there was a new set of press releases, scandalously called Aroras show a John Galliano and Alexander McQueen rip off.

While the FDCI is on the hunt for the defamer and is busy sprucing up its security, Arora couldnt care less. He said, I have this to say the buyer from Saks Fifth Avenue gave me a 10 on 10, the lady from the London Fashion Week has asked for samples to be sent to her by May 25 and Harrods is showing an interest.

Might we note that Aroras show was one of the two that have received standing ovations so far. An Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation - AP PhotoLook mommy, weird clothes

Finally, on day five at Lakm India Fashion Week, we have a beautiful front row. Naturally, the glamour came from Mumbai designers.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, at their diffusion show, gave photographers a lot of reason to be happy at the presence of their A-listers Jaya Bachchan, daughter Shweta Nanda, Dimple Kapadia, Sonali Bendre and Devieka Bhojwani were present and applauding vociferously.

A show like LIFW hadnt quite seen yet, had most people cautiously raise eyebrows when asked, So, did you like it? Bit of an Emperors New Clothes moment, really.

The designers, of course, later explained that it was a concept show. To you and me, that means none of the clothes can actually be worn unless you were a page 3 starlet determined to make it there.

For example, a sari pallu was stitched into the outfit, making it very easy for the wearer to throw the lazy bit of chiffon over the shoulder. The proud parents of the collection said, You will soon see details of what we have done being filtered right down to Linking Road. And that for us is huge compliment.

Whether the abstract was too free flowing to actually catch on remains to be seen. The body guard

What is the reason for the media behave like this? fumed an LIFW organiser yesterday.

A model displays a
Kavita Bhartia creation. Pic: Rajeev Tyagi The reason for her wrath was that the front row-ers yesterday were mobbed by TV cameras and crews while leaving the venue.

It didnt matter that there was a protective ring of bodyguards surrounding the two lady Bachchans, Dimple Kapadia and Sonali Bendre , the bigger concern was the pregnant Bendre not getting hurt in the mayhem.
A livid Mrs Bachchan was seen protecting the bump and making sure nothing and no one touched Bendre.

We printwallahs, of course, would like to wash our hands of the affair, turn our noses up and say, These TV people are like that only, knowing fully well that before the advent of zealous cameramen there were print photographers who were an equal hell to deal with. Well, we hope she got home safely. J J Valayas tribute to Tintin (left) was a big hit, as were his off-the beaten-track clothes (right)Gimmick of the day

While most of us yawningly expected J J Valaya to show his usual trousseau and couture garments, we were jolted into surprise at the czar of embroiderys neat flip across to the house of tailoring.

His collection, which was a tribute to the creator of Tintin, Herge, had buyers busy scribbling details and the audience asking for more.

The gimmick though that had everyone grinning was the omnipresence of Tintin himself. There were tonnes of little boys dressed in Tintin clothes (blue sweatshirt, over tan-coloured knee length trousers and socks riding way up high) everywhere.

Mimicking models and walking through aisles, they made the ballroom of The Grand hotel their playground by planting themselves between seats, plonking themselves on laps, wandering between rows and then finally sitting by the ramp all this while the models scowled up and down the ramp.

All very highly distracting and very entertaining. The spirit of Tintin came right through. Great collection too I can safely say, a forthcoming bestseller. A model displays a Raghuvendra Rathore creation. Pic: Rajeev TyagiAlmost famous

Apart from a couple of shows, all that staidness of prt on the ramp has had designers scurrying around for ideas to make their collection stand out from amongst the multitude. The easiest idea to draw out of a hat is getting a celebrity walker. Why, after all you are guaranteed overpowering media attention in a city that neither has celebs attending nor well-dressed nobodies.

Anuradha Vakil roped in slumdweller hero Shabana Azmi; yesterday Divya and Vandana got Udita Goswami and Pria Kataria Puri had Who Dares Wins show host Tania Zaetta dramatically opening her show with a bit of sword flashing.

The rest of the designers merely hoped that their clothes would speak for themselves. A Niharika Khan pieceSilver smith

Mumbai jewellery designer Niharika Khan showcased her first show at LIFW yesterday, by accessorising for Mumbai duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla .

Theirs, of course, as mentioned above was a concept show and so, Khans rather funky, all silver gothic collection fit in very well. Her new line is called Akirahin pronounce it at your own peril but shes had people asking her all day what it means.

The cheeky lady has been telling random media the first thing that comes to her head, like Its a Japanese word for adornment, or It means butterflies, when really speaking all it really is, is Niharika spelt backwards. Her collection starts at Rs 1,200 and goes up to Rs 25,000.