From ramp to Rashtrapati Bhavan

I did get teary many times on the first day I was in a state of lsquothis isnt happening to me They are talking about someone else But now I have accepted the fact Personally I did not believe I would get it so Im humbled honoured and happy This was Goabased designer Wendell Rodricks reaction when we spoke to him after he was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri award this yearDesigner Wendell Rodricks during one of his previous shows File picThis is only the second time that a mainstream designer has received the fourth highest civilian award of the country the first being veteran Delhibased designer Ritu Kumar who received the same last yearPriyadarshini Rao fashion designerTime for supportThe members of the fraternity who often receive less to zero support from the government are hailing the consistent attention towards the work put in by fashion designers as a welcome changeThis is a big step Ritu deserved this long ago But now with a mainstream designer getting the honour Im sure it will affect government the fashion industry and the publics perception of fashion expresses Rodricks who has not just worked on his collections in a career spanning more than 20 years but has also penned books like Moda Goa and Green Room apart from being a revivalist working extensively in his home state of GoaChanging perceptionsSunil Sethi President of the Fashion Design Council of India FDCI the apex body of fashion design in India helps us chart the progress For twothree years everyone has seen that fashion weeks have become serious B2B Business To Business events So gradually the government has started collaborating with designers on various projects much more than what was done earlier This has helped the fraternity get credibility in their eyes he analysesTina Tahiliani Parikh Executive Director EnsembleThe FDCI President adds that this development gives him immense happiness because he can see active participation of the government with the fashion industry which is highly welcome In India its only recently that you get to see MPs or ministers showing seriousness in seeing someones creations Earlier they would shy away from such events considering them frivolous but now perceptions are changing he shares adding Its good that the government has realised that our industry has substance We are not just about page 3 parties We work hard to create collections So now the message is loud and clear on what were getting to the tableSethis words hold meaning as witnessed in collaborations in the last couple of seasons of Indian fashion weeks with governments of Manipur and other states of the North East and Maharashtra apart from othersInspiration for young TurksThese awards act as major morale booster for other designers as well and go a long way in instilling optimism in the industry The fashion fraternity will now hopefully gain the esteem and adulation it deserves shares designer Nikhil Thampi stressing that in India even today a large number of people do not even consider fashion designing as a respectable profession which he hopes will change with the bestowing of the Padma Shri on designersHe elaborates Its extremely inspirational as a young designer to see your seniors being felicitated and appreciated for their work Its a benchmark set for all us aspirants to continuously better ourselvesPutting another point of view in place designer Priyadarshini Rao states I believe the awards for the two stalwarts are for their efforts in taking the smallscale industry of weaving and hand printing to a fashion level It is important to understand that the awards commemorate their contribution and thus bring fashion into the radar of serious industriesSunil Sethi President FDCIBusiness senseAs far as the benefits of these awards on the business of fashion are concerned Sethi puts things into perspective and explains that a medal from the President will definitely help business People will take the collection of those designers more seriously and will be willing to pay a price Credibility will increase he predictsTina TahilianiParikh Executive Director of multidesigner store Ensemble brings the worldwide stand in the picture and informs that to be recognised in the arts category goes to prove that fashion in our country has finally been elevated to an art form Today people are appreciating fashion far more consciously and seriously than they were in the past Awards are a way of recognising talent and it definitely helps boost the way the fashion industry is seen the world over she maintainsBut has it all taken too long to come by While most from the industry feel it did take a long time the answer was unanimous mdash better late than neverNikhil Thampi fashion designerWish list for Indian FashionRitu Kumar The fashion industry in India needs to be seen as a creative field one which addresses an organic need to create textiles and clothing rooted in our own ethos and traditions There is an urgent need to support allied fields which give India its USP in fashion like encouraging of handicrafts khadi and handloomsWendell Rodricks We need to be recognised as an industry I feel terrible that we have to pay entertainment tax even for student graduation shows I can understand that a liquor fashion tour must pay entertainment tax But students and fashion weeks That needs to be rectifiedSunil Sethi We are still a nascent industry There are very few designers who have been here for more than 20 years I feel along with people who are doing great domestic work the ones who are popularising Indian fashion abroad should also be considered