Lakme Fashion Week in collaboration with Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD), present the Lakme Fashion Week Fashion Media Workshop a pioneering step towards understanding the growing need for information and the importance of reporting on fashion. On August 27th, as the forum progresses in Mumbai, Marylou Luther, Editor in Chief - International Fashion Syndicate will share her expert global perspective on fashion reporting. Just a few days earlier now, she gives Stylekandy.com readers a dose of her varied and extensive savoir faire. Narrate the changes you have witnessed in global fashion since you started I started when all fashion came from Paris. In 1958 (that was 50 years ago last year, I covered Yves Saint Laurent s first collection after the death of Christian Dior. During the 60s, I eye-witnessed the Youthquake/mini/moon maidens. It was the first time mothers and daughters dressed differently. It was the direct result of the pill, drugs, the Age of Aquarius and man s landing on the moon.

Compare the Indian fashion scenario with the International fashion Because I have not covered Lakme Fashion Week or spent any time in India until now, I do not feel qualified to answer, other than to say that India is now a player on the international fashion scene thanks in large part, I believe, to the fact that international buyers and press now attend Lakme Fashion Week. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Indian fashion fraternity Strengths: Bollywood has obviously been an influence on fashion in India, giving the industry an international exposure it did not have before. India has a reputation for being the place to go for beading, embroideries, etc. India has been a source for cheap labor, thereby attracting many international companies to use your manufacturing facilities.

Weaknesses: The fashion director of Lord and Taylor, with 40 some stores nationwide, including the N.Y. flagship, told me that she had come to Lakme Fashion Week thrilled by the creativity in India and that she purchased from several designers. Alas, she said, deliveries were not dependable, if at all, and communication was difficult i.e., no responses to emails, etc. This was 2 or 3 years ago so hopefully this no longer if a weakness. Your take on increasing number of sponsored fashion weeks around the world and its impact on the original ones at Milan and Paris I believe the IMG fashion weeks around the world have had a major impact in publicizing which were, until those weeks were held, marginal fashion centers. This was true in New York, when, in 1993, the first shows in Bryant Park literally transformed the American fashion industry. I do not believe these "regional" shows have hurt the ones in Milan and Paris, as these were already well-established fashion centers. Formal Grounding in Fashion journalism is paid lip sympathy Comment It s hard to have a formal grounding in fashion journalism unless that means working as an intern at a fashion magazine. Do the fashion schools in India have courses in fashion Journalism. If they do, of course I would recommend a course. If they do not, I would say study the field, read Suzy Menkes in the International Herald Tribune and the writers for Women s Wear Daily and W. If you want to be a good writer, first be a good reader. Your agenda and expectation at the Lakme Fashion Week Fashion Media Workshop My agenda during Lakme Fashion Week Fashion Media Workshop is to learn all I can about India and fashion journalism in India. I want to be enlightened. Pearls of wisdom for aspiring fashion journalists. Find a boss who is someone you admire someone you would "die" to work for, then stop, look and listen as you learn. Come with an open mind. Set aside preconceived notions about the field. Read the best writers and see how they include both sides of a story, especially if it is a controversial subject.

Mention some of leading Fashion houses that one can look up to for maintaining creative excellence while in pursuit of commercial viability I love this question. The designers I look up to for creative excellence while in pursuit of commercial viability are, in no particular order, Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, Rick Owens, Prada, Alber Elbaz of Lanvin, Tomas Maier of Bottega Veneta, Raf Simons of Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni, Missoni, Dries Van Noten, Yeohlee, Isaac Mizrahi, Ralph Rucci, Marc Jacobs for his signature collection and for Louis Vuitton, Donna Karan, Betsey Johnson, Norma Kamali, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Derek Lam, LChristian Francis Roth, Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent, Olivier Theyskens, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein and the whole new group of young American designers anointed by Michelle Obama, especially Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo, Narciso Rodriguez and Thakoon. Designers and fashion weeks you look forward toI especially appreciate London designers for their fearlessness and creativity at all costs: Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Bailey of Burberry, Marios Schwab, Duro Olowu, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders and Paul Smith.