Saturday, June 21, 2008

Mickey Mouse turns gladiator at India fashion week (Reuters)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy joined an army of fantasy warriors for designer Manish Aroras futuristic collection at the Delhi fashion week.

The Disney cartoon characters in battle gear and the work of Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami were rendered as embroidered prints on silk, velvet and brocade dresses inspired by Japanese samurais, gladiators and medieval knights.

Aroras models walked the ramp on Friday in lion masks and metallic armor shields, shoulder and knee pads embellished with Swarovski crystals.

"For me, fashion is glamorous and happy and shiny - thats why I show all this," the designer told reporters after the show.

"My clothes always have a sense of humor and Walt Disney provided that for me."

Around 80 designers are showcasing autumn and winter collections on the runway or in stalls at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which opened this week.

Designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna took inspiration from city life for their Lost in the Urban Maze collection - the grid lines of the city mimicked in sleek suits and dresses in various shades of brown and blue.

Creative designs were not the only thing that made news at the fashion week on Friday.

The shoulder drape of a Belgian model slipped sideways during designer Rajesh Pratap Singhs show, exposing her breast for a second. Photographers clicked away but most in the audience remained oblivious to the slip-up.

Clothes coming undone on the ramp are nothing new to the fashion world, but in India it sent newspaper editors and TV producers into a feeding frenzy.

Some TV channels repeatedly broadcast the footage, blurring out the models breast, while newspapers published reports with photographs of the model.

(Reporting by Tony Tharakan)

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