[1]It was quite a shocker for those in the fashion industry when they heard the announcement about the new edition of ‘Gitanjali Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week Bangalore 2013.’ Many questioned about the usage of Bengaluru-based photographer’s moniker in the name of the event, and some even criticised it blatantly.
However, Prasad Bidapa, veteran fashion photographer, talent scout and image consultant, clarifies that it has nothing to do with his self-branding, and the sponsors suggested this idea.
He says, “I have been working in this industry for the past 30 years and at this stage I don’t need any personal promotion. I think people know my work and me very well, so this wasn’t an attempt to get any publicity. When we were deciding on the name for this event, the team suggested this and I was really surprised. I am not pretentious that I would name it as India fashion week or anything similar, when it is designed to highlight the local designers from Bengaluru.”
The idea behind the fashion week is to highlight the glorious fashion history of Bangalore right from the days of Royal Mysore to present day. Prasad informs, “We created a big showcase area for around 5,000 people, and the week was a three-day affair where our local talent was under the spotlight. After watching so many regional fashion weeks, I realised it was important to bring the Bengaluru designers and models to the mainstream.”
“Just like Delhi has a huge market for wedding ensembles, Mumbai is known for its Bollywood-inspired clothing and Kolkata for Indian ethnic wear, Bengaluru should also get a fair due. Besides the silk sector, I wanted people to consider Bengaluru as the next prêt-a-porter destination. There’s a huge market for prêt wear and Karnataka has some of the biggest clothes manufacturing units. Designers here are very talented and can do good business by exporting to design houses if they get a good platform,” concludes Bidapa.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/model-prjpg-704