Fashion consciousness has grown in a big way in the last 3-4 years, a fashion analyst told me. And judging by the crowds that throng the week-long Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, it would seem that most middle class citizens, given a chance (or a day pass) want to have a piece of the fashion fraternity tag on their chest, whether they have any clue about couture or not.The question of affordability or even wearability of the sometimes outlandish designs for the common man on Indian streets is another question.

And what would a big event in the Indian capital be without a good dose of controversy to go along with the catwalks.  All shows on the first day were suddenly cancelled due to the absence of mandatory fire safety permits even as models were dressing up backstage and guests were lining up outside the hall.

The need to accommodate the cancelled shows resulted in the addition of an extra day, and a new fashion phrase – The Grand Fashion Day.

The sixth day may be the Grand Fashion Day, but it was not grand enough for fashion label Satya Paul, which pulled out of the event.

And designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, who was bestowed with the honour of the Grand Finale show, had to oddly showcase his collection on the penultimate day with the “Grand Finale” tag intact and the ceremonial last-day-last-show drinks being served to guests outside the show area.

The Rajasthan-born designer made the unconventional choice of showing his “Bespoke Tales” collection without any star showstopper, unlike most others who try and make the final show as exciting as possible for the media.

“I’m sorry to disappoint… we just wanted to concentrate on the clothes,” Singh said after the show.

On being asked what the theme for his Autumn/Winter line was, the shy yet straight-talking designer replied: “A theme is just a marketing tool.  We are not so lucky to be inspired every three months. We are just tailors.”