Lack of funds forces Ideas Unlimited to cancel fashion show

Chennai: The eagerly-awaited South India Fashion Weekend 2003, a two-day fashion show to give exposure to South-based fashion designers, organised by Ideas Unlimited at Le Royal Meridien Hotel here, has been abruptly cancelled.

The reason? Lack of funds to run the show. The event management company is promoted by R Sunil alias Chandru, a Tamil film producer, and M Krishnatmaa, a 27-year-old garment designer.

The announcement was made one hour after the scheduled start of the show, leaving the show ticket-holders (ticket price: Rs 3,000 for two) and the designers, who had paid a sizeable sum as stall rentals besides investing heavily for specially-designed garments, fuming.

As a fire-fighting measure, the official host, Le Royal Meridien, offered dinner to those who were present at the venue and also allowed free entry into its discotheque, Flame. The hotel workers, assembled in good strength, ensured that stage lightning equipment and the garments displayed in the stalls were packed quickly and sent out of the hotel.

“We have lost several lakhs of rupees as the ballrooms and its precincts were booked for two days. We have to see the future course of action,” says A Sennimalai, the joint managing director of Le Royal Meridien.

“We were told that automobile company Mercedes would sponsor the event,” adds M Ramalingam, director, technical services, Le Royal Meridien.