It is undeniable that Indian fashion has been dictating what Western women wear for as long as we can all remember. Step into any shop in NYC and there’ll be at least half a dozen Desi-chic items for sale at any given time. Kurtas, harem pantaloons and zari embroidery are now common fashion talk. And of course, South Asians have become a force to be reckoned with in dictating what the fashion trends will be, by at once spearheading some of the largest department stores - the best example is Roopal Patel, Senior Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman - designing some of the most beloved accessories craved by all these days - like Top Chef host and super Desi celebrity Padma Lakshmi who now has her own jewelry line - and simply driving the market with their momentous purchases. One billion people a definite fashion movement make!

What has been missing in NYC is a shop for the truly fashion-forward Desis as well as those on-the-pulse Indophiles, the kind of place that does not sell the same fare one can find in Jackson Heights but instead caters to the hippest and trendiest among us, who still want a lot of spice incorporated into our style. Fortunately, come Fall 2010 Misha Nicole will fill that need, when her new shop will open in Manhattan’s cool Soho neighborhood and will feature Indochic designers from the world over, for every budget, shape and nationality. This upcoming wonder was introduced to the public on Thursday, April 15th in NYC, with a preview peek during a wondrous fashion show at the super-chic Paramount Hotel in the Theater District, as well as a Pop-Up Shop the next day, to begin familiarizing customers with the Misha Nicole shop brand.

The event was presented by the IAAC and featured looks from several well-loved designers and one newcomer… Among the tried and true was Ports 1961, couture Hollywood great Shekhar Rahate, Mumbai favorite Babita Malkani, NYC Indomix belle Payal Singhal, NY Fashion Week staple Naeem Khan, cashmere brand White + Warren, classic yet cool Sachin + Babi, as well as jewelry designers Padma Lakshmi and Amrita Singh, and pretty new girl on the fashion block Stephanie Singh.

Models slided sultrily down color coded steps - so as to avoid any issues on the gorgeous lobby staircase of the Paramount - to the sounds of ‘Desi Girl’ and ‘Bachna E Haseeno’ mixed by DJ Suhel, while framed by a stunning crystal chandelier and lit both by candles and a beautiful red glowing spotlight. Sound magical? It was!

If there is one name in NYC that simply shouts FASHION it’s IMG Fashion Senior Vice President Fern Mallis. IMG is the powerful force behind NY Fashion Week, an event that draws buyers and fashion journalists from all over the world to converge on NYC every September and February. And Ms. Mallis was front row center at Global Runway’s Night Out, observing and supervising this outing of great style. Her presence and interest mean only thing to this fashion insider: Indian fashion is becoming an even bigger deal in the years to come.

Before the show, I had a chance to chat with a few of the featured designers and ask about their fashion style, ideas and inspiration. Francesca, the designer for White + Warren pointed out that even a brand which is well known for their cashmere could translate to warmer climates and summer fashion because “Now we have evolved into so many different other areas. People obviously still come to us for cashmere but we have different classifications, different types of yarn, more versatile for different climates, different times of the year. And we also do accessories, which are great for any woman, any time.” You know that one of those fabulous travel wraps is going to be mine before the summer is over!

Then I asked Babita Malkani what particular ethnic influences have inspired her latest collection, and she confessed “I was very inspired by Bhutan. I went there and stayed for a week. I was surrounded by their mystical Buddhism, their monasteries and that kind of architecture. I got all the fabrics from there and even all the accessories are from Bhutan. It was very inspiring.” It was her collection that I found the most wearable, the one that felt most like something I could see myself in during the sultry summer daytime hours in NYC, LA or Bombay.

Newcomer Stephanie Singh confessed that her ideal customer is “The 25-year-old, hip, chic, savvy girl who wants something to wear to work, to cocktail hour, to wear out with her friends. The girl who wants the dress that’s amazing, looks like it cost a million bucks but for a steal.” Basically, Stephanie Singh designs for a woman who is very much like herself! This supercool newcomer’s black shantung ballgown with peacock feathers detailing down the back closed the show and left all breathless in the process.

Finally, I caught up with Shekhar Rahate who said his idea of beauty is “Woman!” He continued that elegance to him means “Sophistication. Elegance is elegant. Whenever a woman wears my clothes, I want her to look classy. Although my clothes are very revealing, because of my Hollywood background, still they don’t show unnecessary parts of the body and never look vulgar. I don’t even want something to be too sexy, but prefer it to look simply glamorous.” Of course, any woman in the audience at the Paramount would have looked and felt elegantly glamorous in Rahate’s white wedding gown, studded with a diamond neckline.

Among the beautiful people on Thursday evening, there were some notably extra-fabulous looking men. Of course, your beloved AVS reporter Jitin Hingorani looked divine in a vintage black tuxedo jacket from his own closet. And Paramount’s Director of Operations Parag Gupta sizzled in that quintessentially elegant fashion must-have, the black suit. His hospitality added to the warmth of the lights, the sparkle of the champagne and the dazzle of great fashion. On the women’s front, I have to mention IAAC Director and Founder Aroon Shivdasani, looking glamorous in a brown/eggplant sleeveless Anarkali ensemble with gold detailing, while daughter and fashion entrepreneur Misha Nicole dazzled in an Adam Lippes azure tie-dye gown and tribal Indian jewelry. 

When I finally left the still-happening afterparty, around 11 p.m., I indeed felt inspired, glamorized and ready for some shopping, thanks to Global Runway’s Night Out and the fab women - and men - behind the event. A craving which was temporarily satiated by the cool gift bag I received on the way out…

Images courtesy of MichaelToolan.com