Kolkata fashion week called off

The third edition of the three-day Kolkata Fashion Week has been postponed indefinitely.

According to Pratik Sen, Director of Mindscapes, one of the organizers of the event, it has been postponed for the time being due to certain unavoidable circumstances and operational difficulties. But he promised to announce fresh dates for the Indian Fashion Carnival, as it was renamed. The event was billed as the city’s biggest fashion extravaganza and had as its focus Mahatma Gandhi and his love for the traditional Indian fabric khadi. Besides renowned Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell, other participants were Zubair Kirmani, Rohit Kamra, Bhairavi Jaikishan, Riyaz Gangjee and Soumitra Mondal. Gitanjali Lifestyle was the title sponsor for the fashion week. A range of high end luxury jewelry, from an array of Indian and international luxury brands, was to be displayed.

The earlier edition, the 2009 Kolkata Fashion Week, was also hit by controversy. Sports and event management company Mindscape Maestro, which had organized the event, was sued by the modeling agency Elite Model Management on charges of cheating. Kolkata in fact got its first fashion week in 2009, nine years after Delhi got it. However, once again it seems that the city’s fashionistas may be left high and dry unless the problems plaguing the event are sorted out.