Fashion designers are artists

Tahiliani is credited with being one of the designers who have brought high couture to India. His I-T woes began in October 2000 when he sought tax exemption for his income that he declared as Rs 83.90 lakh. Under Section 80 RR of the Income-Tax Act, a resident of India, who is an author, playwright, artist, musician, actor or sportsperson can claim exemption of 75% of his income earned from foreign assignment. Tahiliani said that applying the exemptions, his taxable income for that year would be Rs 53.24 lakh.

The I-T department refused to accept that the fashion designer was an artist. It also contested deductions sought by Tahiliani on his taxable income for 1999-2000 and 2001-2002. The I-T appellate tribunal ruled in Tahiliani's favour, upholding his claim that he was a creative artist. The I-T department challenged the order before the HC. The advocate for the department contended that a fashion designer did not belong to the creative profession as the vocation was classified under applied arts and not fine arts. The I-T department said the benefit of exemption was granted to artists who represent Indian culture in foreign countries.

denim trends for winter

Denim can be edgy, casual, elegant, tough or feminine, depending on the type you choose and how you style it. For Fall/ Winter 2012-13 fashion designers showcased a tempting variety that can easily be incorporated into any wardrobe.

Coloured
While designers presented jeans in pastel and vibrant colours last Spring/Summer, their advice for this Fall/Winter is to stick to darker and more pragmatic shades like grey, brown,burgundy, wine, plum, moss green, royal blue and indigo.

Cropped jeans
Ending just above the ankle, mid-calf or below the knee, cropped jeans look best with stilettos. Heels not only lengthen a woman's silhouette, they also add sexiness to an otherwise casual look.

Cowboy style
The Wild West was a big source of inspiration at Isabel Marant, Missoni and Salvatore Ferragamo and Dsquared2. You can embrace this trend with denim jackets and jeans in the style of Hollywood Westerns. Wear minimal accessories and look for pieces embellished with embroidery, and fringe or contrast detailing.

Ripped
The ripped or distressed look is moving beyond jeans to shirts, jackets and shorts on the runway. Team edgy ripped separates with elegant blouses, floral or insect-shaped brooches, and crystal-rimmed sunglasses this fashion season.

Denim jackets
This daywear classic of the 90s is back in a new avatar. Wear a denim jacket with items you'd never dreamt of mixing it with, like trousers, dress shirts or a peasant top. Wear it over an evening dress for a party.

Double denim
Designers are giving the double denim trend a clean, modern update. Think beyond the combination of jeans and matching jackets. Instead of jackets, try denim shirts, cut-offs and accessories.

Bollywood Fashion

There is also the constant fear of criticism, which has restricted filmmakers from attempting to set fashion trends.

According to veteran designer Ritu Kumar, people were earlier not so exposed to fashion. So every new and unique garment seen on the big screen set a trend. This is no longer the case.

"Initially, costumes, which were off everyday wear for the normal population, did cause a stir and led to fashion influences as the market was starved of such designer wear. But this has largely changed," Kumar, who is yet to design for a Bollywood film, said.

Kumar, who has designed the costumes for Deepa Mehta's "Midnight's Children", hopes the scenario improves.

"The industry still seems to design for individuals. When more holistic designing for a complete film is taken up, the fashion scene in India will mature further."

In the past, Bollywood has given memorable styles to masses. Remember the 1960 period drama "Mughal-e-Azam" when Madhubala as Anarkali sported long flowing kurtas and churidars. Almost five decades later, the eponymous Anarkali kameez is the current rage with everybody, from homemakers to hip Bollywood actresses, wearing it.

In 1994, Madhuri Dixit left a mark with her green embroidered choli paired with a white lehnga and a purple embroidered sari in "Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!". Women lapped up the styles at family weddings. There are so many similar instances. There were Rani Mukerji's "Bunty Aur Babli" suits and then the sari, of course, redefined over and over again with movies like "Chandni", "Main Hoon Naa" and "Dostana".

But new trends are now few and far between.

"The main reason for this is that a lot of stylists of celebrities or films are playing safe with ongoing trends in fashion. They are primarily using outfits which are in fashion, avoiding the risk of fashion faux pas. Thus they are unable to create a new trend," designer Pria Kataaria Puri said.

"Earlier, film costumes were not designed according to what everyone was wearing or according to international trends but were rather filmy or outlandish, rule breaking; and if they worked well, it became a new trend. To create a style, one has to create costumes that are unusual," she added.

Costume designer Payal Saluja, who has worked on Vishal Bhardwaj's "Maqbool", "Ishqiya", "Saat Khoon Maaf" and now "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", says the move towards realistic filmmaking in Bollywood has changed the scene.

"Stories are becoming real and connectable for the audience these days. So, the clothes also need to be in tandem. Clothes should never be stronger than the character because then the viewer will only remember the clothes. So it is first important to think of blending costumes into the narrative rather than create fashion trends," Saluja said.