By Shilpa Raina, IANS,
New Delhi : With the hectic Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) behind them and preparations already under way for the next edition in April, most designers here are taking a well-earned break to celebrate Diwali with their families or just chill out with their friends.
“I have been busy for the past three months thanks to the preparations for the fashion week, but now I will spend some quality time with my daughter and celebrate Diwali with her,” designer Leena of the Ashima-Leena duo told IANS.
“I am a very spiritual person and believe in God, so the festival of lights has to bring peace everywhere. I appeal to people not to burst crackers and opt for a peaceful Diwali,” she added.
Vijay Arora of label Anant describes himself as a complete family man and for him, every celebration means spending quality time with his family members.
“I am a very family oriented person and family always comes first. As we celebrate Diwali in a very grand manner, the festival means spending time with the family and meeting with some near and dear ones,” he explained.
Designer Namrata Joshipura too wants to spend “quality” time with her daughter as according to her she was busy in churning out her spring/summer collection for the fashion week.
Jaipur-based designer Puja Arya wants to “sleep” and forget the world during the time of festivities.
“In my city, everything is closed for at least three days and this gives me enough reason to sleep and shut myself from the rest of the world, after hectic preparations for the fashion week,” she maintained.
“This Diwali, I will do everything else except what is related to fashion,” she added.
Then, there are designers who love to party with friends to get over the tiredness fashion week brings along with it.
“Diwali for me means partying out with friends. Everyone should put on good clothes and enjoy the festivities with people they are very close to. After getting excellent response from buyers (at the fashion week), I have every reason to party,” said designer Rana Gill.
While designer Rina Dhaka has not yet planned her Diwali celebrations, she believed they would be at a close friends’ place.
“The hectic preparations for the fashion week did not leave me with enough time to think about the Diwali festivities but I am sure that I will be going to a friend’s place,” she said.
For designers Sanchita Ajjampur and Nida Mehmood, Goa is the ultimate destination to head to celebrate the festivity of lights in their own way.
Ajjampur stated: “The past few months have been pretty hectic, thanks to the preparations required for the fashion week but now that it is over, I want to go to Goa to celebrate Diwali.”
Even young designer Mehmood, who managed to attract many buyers from the Middle East for her hip collection agreed, saying: “The hard work has paid off and it will be a well deserved break with my friends who have been patient and supportive during my hectic schedules at the fashion week.”
“Goa is the ultimate place for relaxation that’s why I am heading there,” she added.
While everyone is talking about taking a break, designer Amit GT, who managed to sell around 1,500 pieces to international buyers felt that he still has a long way to go and his schedule is so tight that he will be busy even during Diwali.
“I am opening my first flagship store in the first week of November, so the preparations are in full swing. I can’t take a break until I launch it. “After all, it’s my baby,” he said.