When Indian culture, art and music have all evolved to a true sublime, why has our fashion sense lagged. The sari has few true competitors here or anywhere else in the world. But to be daring and wear it diaphanous, with a see-through choli, a very popular fashion of the last century, is near scandalous in this day and age. The topless Malabar lady of yore would also get the thumbs down in fashion parlance. Less is more is fine on the catwalks in Europe but closer home, more is best.

On Monday night, the students of the Fashion Course at SNDT displayed their awesometalent under the aegis of Hemant Trevedi for Femina Chrysalis '98 at the Leela. I was a judge to this event, the creativity and inventiveness of some of the collections set them a class apart. I could have been watching a show on a catwalk anywhere in Europe. This young hothouse of talent, given the right direction, could place any woman a winner in the fashion sweepstakes. Hemant Trevedi, the driving force behind the event, takes a keen interest in the students year round with lectures and other fashion exposure, which has obviously paid off as witnessed by their collections.

I laud him his effort as he does it out of the goodness of his heart and because he firmly believes in the talent of these young designers. I bought a few outfits straight off the ramp not merely to encourage the students but for the wearability, glamour and chic of the garments.

My favourite lines were The Quest, Nocturne, Feeling Fruity and The End of Waiting. Tres, Tres Chic!All Indian males without exception, ogle. The night atthe Leela was no exception. Even if the woman is draped from head to toe yet has style, she's stared down to a cinder. If, on the other hand, she wears a little sexy number, it's like she's got a sign around her neck saying `Welcome to watch and stare'.

Everyone does, but warn their wives and sisters "You dress like that over my dead body!" Tauba! Tauba! These double standards have choked initiative out of our women folk and most settle for safe rather than sorry.

The fashion plate is oh! so correct in her well put together look, straight out of the pages of Vogue or Tattler, but the fashion victim chooses only one item and then hashes her way for the rest of the look. Both examples abound in India's fashion mecca `Bombay'.

The one that has the nerve to actually discuss fashion and its sisters, is usually the Alice band on head, in fashion's wonderland. Two strings of pearls doth not an icon make! And unshapely badly cut, red jackets do nothing to lift the pallor of an `oops you frightened me', blooddrained face. Saris with gloves, yes lace gloves, is another faux pas of this ghastly fashion apparition. Victim or plate? Kitsch, Kitsch Hota Hai!

Bringing up the raring-to-go young uns, does leave an indelible impression on both parent and child. The child through imitation but in a rather rebellious sort of way apes the look of her mother. Another quite unfair fashion victim or plate in the making. The typical are the middle of the road, no frill or fur below, hausfrau look fine by me but just a tad boring No? Then there are the lift the whole look, `hook line and sink' from catalogues, so from head to toe, T to A, it's all the same stamp and mould, plate versus victim. Then you have the racing and chasing ones who pull on the handiest little black something, chuck a few accessories and Voila! they've got the look. Plate definitely, but with an upward fashion mobility.

Of course, fashion without grooming is the ultimate travesty. The icons are the graceful, groomed swans, who over the years evolvetheir own look, be it in the palette of colours they choose or a style whether traditional, dare and bare sexy, or just classic forever, clothes made of the best fabrics with a great cut. Now in this last category I will dare to cast a few votes randomly -- Simi Garewal, Parmesh Godrej, Ayesha Shroff, Sunita Saxena, Minal Modi, Sunita Kapoor, Rita Dhody, Zenia Lawyer, Rita Mehta, Sheetal Bhagat, Poonam Bhagat, Ramona Garware, Laila Lamba, Queenie Dhody, Anju Taraporewala, Shefali Khanna, Jasna Parekh, Mohini Narang and Laila Khan.