Film stars shun Paris fashion for Indian designers

THE world's most expensively dressed stars, from Nicole Kidman to Pamela Anderson, are shunning the fashion houses of Paris, Milan and London in favour of designers from India.

Dame Judi Dench was one of the first among Hollywood actresses to promote the style: she has worn gowns by the Bombay-based designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Kholsa to the Oscars ceremony for two consecutive years. Now fashion houses in Bombay and Delhi, which once dealt exclusively with India's home-grown "Bollywood" film stars, have reported a huge upsurge in requests for gowns from famous Western clients.

Nicole Kidman, the Australian actress, this week rejected offers of free haute couture designs and commissioned Ritu Beri, the Delhi-based designer, to create an outfit for her to wear to the premiere of her new film next month, at the Cannes film festival. Miss Beri said: "I think high-profile women in the West like our clothes because they can make a very dramatic and definite statement. They know that whatever event they are attending they will stand out in an Indian creation."

Fashion commentators say that the use of traditional fabrics, the detailed embroidery work, the range of natural dyes and the length of the Indian gowns combine to give the garments their special appeal. Western stars, however, are not yet ready for the full Indian look. The Indian designers have been asked to tone down some of their more extravagant costumes in order to make them acceptable for events such as the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival.

Miss Beri said: "The trick is not to be too over the top. A lot of women are put off by Indian clothes that look too much like costumes. We have to ensure that what we do is not too ornate. We try to create something that is also Western in flavour. We have to combine the best of both cultures. Nicole for instance wants something that is long, flowing and in flesh tones."

Rohit Bahl, a Bombay designer who has just been commissioned to make a sari for Pamela Anderson, the former Baywatch star, said: "It can be difficult designing for someone like Pamela. My Indian clients tend to be quite conservative and want an outfit which will ensure that they are covered up. Pamela however has a very distinctive look and style and wants something a little more revealing.
"I have come up with something which I think is Indian but which isn't going to compromise what she wants to say - its something she has to feel comfortable wearing in London or New York. Indian designers are refining their looks for a Western clientele. At the same time Western women are confident because they know the clothes are not easily copied and what they are commissioning is a genuine one-off."