Japanese designers at LFW were torn between calling home to check on loved ones and putting up a grand show yesterday

As the curtains rose on the Lakme Fashion Week 2011 yesterday which opened with Tokyoeye, a show by eight Japanese designers the death toll back in their homeland did too.
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The calamity didn't stop the Japanese team from putting up a brave, beautiful show at the Lakme Fashion Week at a hotel in Vakola yesterday

The opening feature coincided with the aftermath of the cataclysm that struck the country: a massive tsunami spawned by a colossal 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

Explicably, the glitz of the fanfare was stained with gloom. The sombre mood reflected appropriately in their garbs the Japanese were clad in black.

But the distress didn't stop them from putting up a brave, beautiful show.

The Japanese team felt the tremors of the earthquake in the green rooms at the hotel in Vakola the venue for the show where they were getting ready, when the news of the disaster first filtered in.

As frantic phone calls were exchanged across the two nations, the Japanese team came to understand the enormity of the situation back home.

Kaoru Imago, a member of the Japanese team, was busy checking last-minute fittings when he heard the news.
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"My father is stuck in office and he cannot go home. My mother is at home, but thank god, she is safe," said a concerned Imago. "We are all talking to our family members over the phone now."

Since last morning, the team had been glued to the television for the latest news from their country.

"We called a meeting and discussed the situation in Japan. Initially there was a bit of scepticism about the show, as such a huge calamity had struck Japan.

But after all of us spoke to our family members, everybody is now back on the job," said Atul Parekh, co-ordinator of the Japan-India initiative.

Parekh, whose family stays in Tokyo, heard about the earthquake from his wife. "While talking to my wife, the phone got disconnected for a while. Finally, I managed to speak to my family and they are safe," added Parekh.
Kazuo Ogawa, president of Infinity Creations, was relieved to get a call from his wife in the afternoon. "I have five members in my family and they just informed me that they are all safe.

We have been lucky that our family members are fine. But so many others have lost their life and we are really upset about it," said Ogawa.

"All of us are talking to our family and friends back home and making sure that everything is fine," expressed Imago.

Khoshiji Khayo, another member of the team, was less alarmed as her family doesn't stay in Tokyo. "But I spoke to my friend who told me that her furniture had fallen over after the earthquake," said Khayo.

Granted most of their kin and comrades were safe, but that doesn't subtract anything from the admirable professionalism exhibited by them.

"This is an important step towards building an important relationship between Japan and India and we couldn't cancel the show," said Parekh, explaining why they decided to carry on.

What a show

Even as the television spewed disturbing images of a country torn apart, awash in disaster, and literally so, the Japanaese had everyone talking of their first-rate pageantry at the LFW last evening.

Stunning designs, structured silhouettes and a dash of the Orient, the works: Tokyoeye turned out everything it was touted to be, despite the variables.

Motonari Ono opened the show with his neat, structured designs his eye for detail being the highlight of his collection.

Designer Tamae Hirokawa of Somarta took everyone's breath away with her collection, displayed on models walking down the ramp balanced on precariously high heels.
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Beautifully textured leggings and bodysuits justified Hirokawa's fame as the creator of the 'skin' series. Sara Arai of Araisara designs ended the show on a high note, with her exaggerated sleeves and grand silhouettes.