Review: WICSA’s fashion show showcased the magic of Bollywood | Culture

The Western Indo-Canadian Students’ Association’s fifth annual fashion show was a captivating performance featuring 75 talented performers and highlighting the essence of six genres of Indian cinema.

This year’s theme was “Leela” a Sanskrit word that translates to “a divine play,” according to the show’s directors Meera Kavitkar, a fourth-year Ivey Business student and Mamoiee Aratrik, a fourth-year medical sciences and geography student.

The first act was titled “Ishq-Vishk” centred around the themes of love and romance, followed by “Pataaka,” a folklore interpretation of how Bollywood depicts village life. The third act “Kalank” really leaned into the theatrical theme — the choreography told a story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

After the third act, WICSA welcomed the Western Raiders dance team to the stage to showcase their hip hop routine. This was a fun way to mix things up before the intermission. 

At intermission, the over 350 attendees had a chance to enjoy an assortment of food options including samosas, spring rolls and onion bhaji. I was impressed with the sheer number of community members in attendance; I didn’t see a single empty seat in Mustang Lounge that night. 

“Apsara,” the fourth act presented themes of fantasy set in an enchanted forest. The models’ green, gold and floral outfits definitely highlighted this theme. This was followed by “Khamoshiyan,” a homage to the horror genre. In this act, models’ outfits were black and white with occasional red accents, highlighting the spooky undertones.

The final act “Dhoom” shares its name with a famous Bollywood film series. This act saw a major shift in costumes, with the models dressed in western clothing as opposed to the Indian attire featured in the other five acts. Dhoom had the crowd roaring — its fast-paced and thrilling stunt-like choreography made for a great grand finale. 

In an interview with the Gazette, Kavitkar and Aratrik shared that they began working on the show nine months ago. 

“I had never led a team of 120 people before, we had to organize outfits, makeup, choreo and more. We had control over all of that, which is crazy,” said Aratrik.

The stunning outfits and jewelry, a key part of any fashion show, were provided by sponsors in London, Brampton and Scarborough. Phulkari Designs and Chandan Heritage provided the outfits, while Gems By Abi was the exclusive jewellery designer for the show.

This event was so much more than just a fashion show and knocked my expectations out of the park. It was evident that so much work went into every detail of the show, from the song choices to choreography to the outfits. 

Experiencing this with over 400 people in the same room, the WICSA fashion show is a must-see event like no other.