Points of inspiration - Nalanda Bhandari does it again

This is part of a series of impressions from the Spring Summer 09 fashion weeks here in India.

To start on an unsavory note, as they say eat a frog first thing... designer Nalanda Bhandari's Spring Summer '09 collection was reminiscent of a couple of diverse international designers. While most of her collection had that "familiar" feel to it, a couple of styles jumped right out at me and not for the right reasons.

Exhibit A: While Nalanda poses with her showstopper in this lovely shimmery grey floor length dress, i had the feeling i needed to pinch myself for I could have sworn I'd seen this outfit at Elie Saab's Fall Winter 2007 Couture show and the resemblance is for all to see.

Exhibit B is this plum and fuschia mini dress which looks remarkably similar to the dress alongside which is from Anna Sui's Spring Summer 09 collection. A match on colour, silhouette and lattice-work embroidery. The only difference being the neck-line.

While I'd like to know what "inspires" Nalanda to do this time and again, i'd like her to understand that the global design fraternity is watching and such blatant acts of plagiarism will not go unnoticed. And while Indian fashion design and designers are making their mark on the world scenario, such acts mar the hard work being put in by everyone else.