Paloma at home: At a virtual fashion show everyone gets a front-row seat!

It’s interesting To see how everyone has taken to our ‘unlock’ situation where on one hand people are making plans for Friday night at Radio Room, while I’m still sitting cocooned at home, stepping out only when absolutely necessary. My outing for the week was to conduct a workshop on public speaking, for a small group of students. Yet another taste of functioning in the ‘new normal’. The class included segments on facial expressions, confidence and how to use a microphone, all a little tricky if you’ve got a facemask and visor on. Not to mention sanitizing the mic after each person had used it. Thankfully, the students took all of it in their stride, adapting to whatever challenges were thrown their way, and doing it all with a smile.

On the fashion front, the event of the week was The Wedding Day, a virtual fashion show presented by Pravin PSY in association with label Chaitanya Rao. As is the latest style, we got to watch it on our phones from the comfort of our living room sofas. The show itself made use of the latest in technology, captured not as a typical fashion showcase but in a slightly more dramatic style, with sweeping shots and transitions. I was curious to find out the designer’s thoughts on working in the new format. Chatting with Chaitanya, he reveals that while the energy of a physical audience is unmatched, it was great to be part of this new experience. And while a live show has that blink-and-you-miss-it feel, here you have a fabulously shot video, capturing all the details, which lasts a lifetime. “Plus, here everyone gets a front row seat,” he says with a chuckle. With large scale physical events not taking place in the foreseeable future, this is the way forward. 

And with Diwali around the corner, where we would normally be gearing up for festive launch events, most designers are making use of Instagram to get their collections out there. People are more than happy to shop online, interact with designers remotely and have the finished product shipped to them. I can’t blame them, when I haven’t mustered up the courage to go out shopping just yet. Will this be the week? I’ll keep you posted.