Usually, participating in a fashion week for a designer is a dramatic statement of having arrived. They don’t mind coughing up the extra lakh for a coveted evening show slot or spending on lavish sets. However, this year, before the seasonal fashion jamboree starts, the pivotal issue is to reduce costs and still hold a stylish event.

The Delhi Fashion Week (DFW), the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) and the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) are trying to ensure the show goes on, even if that means charging designers a smaller amount and making a lot less money.

From allowing designers to send in their bookings late to lowering the price of the shows as well as the stalls, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), organisers of the WIFW, has generally ensured that the process is made smooth for participants.

“At the end of the day, we stand as a council to promote the industry, not just to make money out of it. If we do not provide these basic aids to our designers in times like these, then we all stand to lose out,” says Sunil Sethi, president, FDCI.

This year, all the shows at WIFW, which will take off on March 18, will cost designers between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, with prices of stalls going as low as Rs 70,000, almost a 20 per cent cut. “We have prime evening slots for Rs 3.5 lakh, something that was never heard of before. Twin designer shows start from below Rs 2 lakh,” says Sethi.

With close to 80 applications, FDCI has also been lenient and are allowing staggered payments. “Export payments have been late this year. Consequently, many designers called us to say that they would like to participate but needed more time to make the payment. We took in applications and bookings well beyond the official date,” adds Sethi.

The venue cost too has been subsidised, with the FDPC, the agency sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, contributing a significant amount.

At the Delhi Fashion Week, scheduled between March 19 and 24, the list of participants has been pegged at about 40. While most are rookie designers, there are many accessory designers as well.

“We have not lowered the prices of stalls but the rate for ramp shows has definitely gone down. We are also trying to ensure that the benefits are shared by all,” says Sumeet Nair of the Delhi Fashion Week, dismissing rumours that last year Anamika Khanna was made to shell out close to Rs 7.5 lakh for her show. “She paid only as much as the other designers did, nothing more, nothing less,” he says.

The LFW, for their part, has thrown their stalls open to newcomers and outstation designers, when their event takes off in Mumbai between March 27 and 31. “We did not want to restrict it to designers who have been selected only for shows. By throwing open stalls to others, we are re-instating our commitment to the business of fashion,” says Anil Chopra of the LFW.