 The biggest fashion show in Delhi is in parliament and if you can forgive the parliamentarians their looks, spend a few moments admiring what they wear 
Every year in a particular month, for seven days and seven nights, Delhi grabs the centre seat from Mumbai, to resound to the beat of designer prêt and model struts. Suhel Seth, hardcore Delhiite, pens a tongue-in-cheek defence of the capital’s unique assets that qualify it as the preferred ramp for fashion weeks.
Have you ever asked yourself why, except for two errant years, the India Fashion Week has always been held in Delhi? Or for that matter, why most of the country’s fashion designers are based there? Of course, there’s Abu and Sandeep in Mumbai but then surely they have no choice: who would escort the Bachchans if all the designers lived in the capital? The answer is very simple. Delhi has more fashion designers for the following reasons:
Delhi is the capital of the country and because it has wide streets and big hotels, you don’t have to construct a ramp that almost hits the Arabian Sea every time you plan a fashion show. Also, big hotels mean big-time cash and when was the last time you paid your fashion tailor by cheque? Delhi is also a great location: the Government of India and the CII are based here, though not on the same level of importance. Also, a ‘fashion show’ is the most popular extra baggage to lug. So, it is easy to talk to designers and their lackeys, get them onto a flight and showcase India and her sense of fashion, thus obtaining relevant kudos. Which means that Delhi has the advantage of location over any other city. For fashion and fashion shows. I mean, you can hardly call Mumbai  India’s fashion capital: they only have one fashion street. Here in Delhi, we have fashion coming out of our ears. We have a designer lurking at every traffic light. There is also the added advantage that Delhi is the closest state to Haryana and Punjab which means we get the rough with the rougher, in terms of good looking boys and good looking girls who are on the path to becoming supermodels. Delhi benefits from being the capital: this ensures that you can get the Delhi Chief Minister to inaugurate my friend Queenie Dhody’s jewellery show which is far better than getting an underworld don to do it in Mumbai!
Suhel Seth is the CEO of Equus Advertising. He is also a social commentator and writes on current affairs for several publications. He has acted in over 145 plays, done films for Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Mahesh Bhatt and is a regular on the public speaking circuit
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