WIFW: Does bigger mean better?

New Delhi: With nearly 80 designers from over 12 countries, 90 domestic buyers and two runways, one of India's biggest fashion events kicks off on Thursday in the Capital.

The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW) certainly promises to be bigger in terms of fashion (as compared to the Mumbai's Lakme Fashion Week), with Rs 7 crore being pumped into the event and promises big buyer names like Bloomingdales, Maria Luisa, Selfridges and Harrods from across Europe and America.

But will it be any better, is only for time to tell. "We've tried to span countries we never had like Japan and Russia. There will be local buyers as well from India," Director General, Fashion Design Council of India, Rathi Vinay Jha, says.

This event will have more buyers than any other fashion week ever in India. After all, organiser Percept D'Mark has a point to prove against IMG, which did the event for the last six years before the infamous split this year.

Two separate events are being held in Mumbai and Delhi due to the controversial split between FDCI and Lakme - former sponsor of the fashion week.

"With due respect to IMG, for us, it’s a very concentrated and a very fashion event. We'll soon hit the international market," CEO, Percept D'Mark, Preetha Singh, says.

But that's not all that makes for a good fashion week. "Three things are most vital for a fashion week. Lights, cameras and toilets," Consultant, Tom Burnsdon, says.

With the tremendous increase in designer participation seen this year, FDCI has almost doubled the space devoted to the Business Centers, with over 100 stalls.

Among the domestic buyers participating in the extravaganza are, Alliance Merchandising, Ogaan, Carma, Ensemble, Shoppers Stop Ltd, Kala Niketan, etc.

International buyers include Bloomingdales (Europe), Maria Luisa (Paris), L'e claireur (Paris) and Selfridges, Harrods (London).

Besides, 70 other buyers from the US, UK, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Australia and other countries will also be attending the event.

(With inputs from Hindol Sengupta and PTI)