Date:17/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/17/stories/2008041761721100.htm

New Delhi

Fashion gets first place

Madhur Tankha

IIFA joins merchandising firm Biba

Collection highlight: A creation by Vikram Phadnis.

NEW DELHI: With the countdown for the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) having begun, desi fashion designers are busy these days giving finishing touches to their Bollywood collections. IIFA and merchandising firm Biba Apparels are ready with an exclusive ‘Bling’ fashion collection reflecting the styles and trends in Bollywood.

The aim behind these collections is to take the glamour of the tinsel town into people’s lives by giving them clothes close to what they see on screen.

For designer Vikram Phadnis, who has been in association with IIFA for five years, the event is not simply an awards function where the best and the brightest of the film industry get the recognition they deserve, but an ultimate extravaganza.

One of the creators of the IIFA Bling for Biba line, Vikram says: “It feels great to see the award function growing bigger and better. By launching the new line, the reputed awards are discovering another side. The designs for the IIFA Bling for Biba line are going to be different and creative every time and every season.”

Fashion designer Renu Chopra, daughter in-law of film maker B.R. Chopra, has also created a collection titled Bhootnath from Amitabh Bachchan’s ghost film with a similar name.