The All Ladies League (ALL) have organised the
ongoing Women Economic Forum global summit
in Goa, which commenced on May 7, 2015. Part of
the summit was a panel discussion on the topic,
‘The business of Beauty, Fashion and Entertainment:
Defining trends from world over’, which took place on
May 8, 2015. Meghna Ghai Puri, President of Whistling
Woods International (Mukta Arts) introduced the panel
and explained how India is the youngest country in the
World but needs more emphasis on skilled training.
‘When will India be the centre of style trends like Milan
or Paris?’ was the big question for the panellists.
Geeta Rao, former Beauty Editor of ‘Vogue’, opened
up the panel discussion by stating that the beauty
industry is a 265 billion dollar industry worldwide while
in India, it is a 956 million dollar industry. “There are
eight companies that are controlling the markets with
the highest selling products being skin care, anti aging,
hair products and hair colouring. The beauty industry
is viral and digital and the global savvy consumer is not
waiting. India has to start packing and marketing their
products well.”
Actress Poonam Dhillion was her beautiful self
and graciously spoke about how truth doesn’t sell
but perception does. Being an actor and politician,
she had to struggle to prove that beautiful women
are smart when she started her career three decades
back. “It was an uphill task to go beyond the beauty
image as people were surprised that I was well read
and well informed and came from a family of doctors.
Also, you have to have inner beauty and calm to add
to your beauty. The fashion magazines today are
more about style statements and make up tips with
minimal information; it’s more about selling products.
The magazines are looking for financial gratification
and actors have to look impeccable at all times. Every
actor is closely monitored, with an eye on whether
they wear the same bag, clothes or shoes, twice. Are
we supposed to use disposable clothing? And with this
trend, innocent people are putting their hard earned
money into luxury brands. India has its own magic
solutions and we should use natural products like curd
and multani mitti more than brands.”
Shefalee Vasudev, Fashion Editor of ‘Mint Lounge’,
showed a beautiful presentation on sarees and how
they have been incorporated into both Indian and
Western wear, thus making a global statement. “Indian
fashion is nowhere in mourning over the end of global
trends. We are not spinning an old yarn but we have to
appropriate global fashion and transform it just like the
West has appropriated and transformed Indian fashion.”
Her presentation involved sarees in styles like fluid,
beach, kitschy and the traditional Banarasi Brocade.
Malavika Sangghvi is a writer who has travelled and
written for leading publications in India and abroad.
Speaking about how buying luxury is not enough,
she adds that we need to understand luxury first.
“India understands luxury more than the world; more
than any product, it is the state of mind. We need to
emphasis on good manners and being kind and not
promoting brands with hard-earned money. Youth
should be educated with sensibility too.”
Finally, Ashoke Pandit, filmmaker and a member
of the Censor Board, brought up the idea of how an
actor should be made the Minister for Information and
Broadcasting in order to understand the industry’s
problem in a better way. He started off by calling the
Bollywood industry an orphan without a ‘mai-bap’
(parents), “Bollywood is supposed to be a glamorous
industry but the 100-crore film industry is just a facade.
The reality is something else. It is only an industry
without any debates or thoughts. The industry makes
the best films that compete with world cinema; it
works as a close-knit family; but we need support from
the system. Respect and dignity which the industry
deserves is lacking.”
