WILL WE SEE THIS IN TOWN?: A Moschino A Jean Paul Gaultier creation

Moschino, Diane von Furstenberg, Alberta Ferretti, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin…. Whether or not Calcutta can pronounce these Italian, Belgian or French labels does not matter. What matters is that this famous five of the international fashion scene is coming to Calcutta as part of a grand trunk show next week.

To be held on February 11-12 at Plush, the new party address at The Astor hotel, it will mark a rare brush with big brands for a city that is almost resigned to being bypassed.

Trunk shows typically travel with parts of a designer line, literally in trunks, when it is not possible to carry entire collections. The “trunkated” exhibition is usually a good way of testing a market.

“Calcuttans shop a lot when they travel. So we thought why not bring the best to their door?” says Anshu Juneja of Spoilt, a company promoting luxury brands that is handling the trunk show.

TSG International Marketing Pvt Ltd, which holds the sole distribution and retail rights in India for the Moschinos and Lanvins, is also bullish on the city.

“Calcutta is synonymous with art and culture and creations by these designers are no less than works of art. We strongly feel that the city has huge potential that is waiting to be tapped. We want the first-mover’s advantage,” reveals a TSG spokesperson. TSG International Marketing is the brainchild of sisters Charu and Priya Sachdev Chatwal (whose big fat Indian wedding to Vikram Chatwal, son of hotelier and Clinton pal Sant Singh Chatwal, had hit the headlines in 2006).

Clothes apart, accessories, bags and shoes will form part of the show. Keeping in mind Calcutta’s price-sensitivity and also the on-going gloom, both TSG and Spoilt have promised that the price tags won’t be “ridiculous”.

This is not the first time that Calcutta will witness a trunk show though. In 2007, 85 Lansdowne had hosted a Valentino trunk show and last year the style stop had brought Shanghai Tang to town.

Shalini Nopany of 85 Lansdowne says that the city is ready for “new things” and there is a “lot of curiosity”.

“Trunk shows expose Calcutta to international names. It places Calcutta in the fashion forefront. It’s great that such big names are looking at Calcutta as a destination,” adds Shalini.

Even iconic Italian brand Salvatore Ferragamo that participated in Cherry Orchard exhibition to test the Calcutta waters last August was “overwhelmed” with the response.

No wonder Ekta Puri of Plush is looking forward to partner in this “exclusive” event. “The ambience of Plush is very fashion-friendly,” she assures.

So what can fashionistas in Calcuttans expect at next week’s trunk show? They can browse through a mix of current fall-winter and upcoming spring-summer collections of these five labels. There will be lots to choose from for both men and women.

And what is fashion designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh excited about? A date with Diane von Furstenberg. “I am a big fan of DvF and I think her clothes are eternally classic. It will be a pleasure to have DvF in my own backyard!”

Kiran does have one niggle, though. “I hope the merchandise is now and edgy and not last season’s.”

We shall know this time next week.