26072024-LSTC-01.qxd 7/25/2024 11:41 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Paris calling Singer Lady Gaga is all set to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The ceremony’s line-up of performers has mostly been kept under wraps. CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 26 JULY 2024 As India fails to register among the top-10 national ceremonial uniforms on the Olympics official website, designer Tarun Tahiliani’s ikkatprint dresses for the opening ceremony of the sporting event have not gone down well with netizens Sheetal A Runway scorchers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, veterans of the Indian fashion industry, returned to India Couture Week on Wednesday with a grand opening show. The runway at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi was lit up with models walking the ramp in exquisite ensembles from the celebrated designer duo’s younger brands, Asal and Mard. To make their show more appealing, they added a beautiful touch of music and dance to it. Akshay and IP curated the song for the show, which was enough to enthral the audience. In fact, they both appeared on the runway and sang live, evoking a loud cheer from the audience. There was one more surprise in store for Delhiites. The designers brought Bollywood glam to their show by making Heeramandi-fame Taha Shah Badussha and actress Wamiqa Gabbi as their muses. — ANI Taha Shah turns showstopper for Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla at India Couture Week, which also featured actress Wamiqa Gabbi THLETES from across the world will be competing at the Olympics, which take off in Paris today. So, it was but obvious that countries would be putting their best foot forward in sports as well as fashion! However, not only did India fail to register in top-10 national ceremonial uniforms on the Olympics official website and Instagram, but also disappointed many sports and fashion enthusiasts back home. Indian dresses and sports kit were unveiled weeks ahead of the Olympics. The former has been sponsored by Tasva, a traditional Indianwear label with modern craftsmanship, managed by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd and Tarun Tahiliani, whereas the latter has been managed by The JSW Group. Epic failure How many times do we have to reflect the Indian flag in the dresses? That’s the easiest thing Tahiliani could do! Even the choice of synthetic fabric is a big no in a country known for its handlooms. Tahiliani picks ikkat print, but somehow managed to let down by digitally printing this resist-dyed weaving technique, which would have otherwise helped showcase richness of India’s art and paid homage to undervalued artisans. Ignorance is bliss For any fashion designer, it’s an honour to design clothes for athletes Sports sans STYLE who would be making history by winning medals at the Olympics, but Tahiliani’s reluctance to post a single picture of this moment on his Instagram handle speaks for his level of commitment. On the same social media handle, he proudly flaunts actresses and models donning his luxury designs for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding, including the likes of Kim Kardashian, Hardik Pandya, Katrina Kaif, Ayushmann Khurrana and many more. The ceremonial dress only makes an appearance at India’s Olympic Committee’s social media handles and brand Tasva’s official account. But netizens made extra efforts to reach these official pages just to express their discontent. An Instagram user wrote, “Shame, you took away government money to promote your stupid logo.” Another one wrote, “The very premise of ‘ikkat-inspired prints’ should be embarrassing to anyone c m y b TARUN TAHILIANI who has any background in Indian textiles. Either do real ikkat, or real block prints, both of which have a wide and deep tradition in India. Very embarrassing with not a hint of thought on design.” Shining through On the other hand, Mongolia, Haiti, Canada and many others countries received praise for their ceremonial clothing with themes that best ILLUSTRATION BY SANDEEP JOSHI represented their countries. Fashion commentator, Sufi Motiwala, who rates every bigsmall event in India or overseas, says, “I am petrified... Other countries have tried so hard to bring in art and tradition into their ceremonial dresses. Haiti just delivered a magnificent outfit. Even without the use of the flag, you could tell its Korea just because how stylish and beautiful the outfit is. Mongolia is on another level and should be hailed as the whole fashion moment. Look at what we did, we just took basic silhouette and added Indian flag’s tricolor in it. I understand and appreciate the significance of that, but is this the pinnacle of our creativity. It is the Olympics and you put barely two minutes into thinking what to make. Highly disappointing!”
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