PARTY MESS: Fashion entrepreneur, actor Pernia Qureshi reportedly shown doors by FDCI chief Sunil Sethi at the fashion week. Scroll down to know why
This is how the venue of Pernia Qureshi’s party looked like after it got cancelled
Parties are generally hosted at the fashion weeks so that hard-working designers let their hair down with their friends after their stressful shows. But there was one party at the just-concluded Amazon India Fashion Week that didn’t go too well! Fashionistas had got an invitation to attend this event hosted by online entrepreneur cum actor Pernia Qureshi on the last day of the fashion week. But when they turned up at the designated area, Smoke House Deli, they found a stranded corner where workers were busy wrapping up containers of food and drinks. “The party has been cancelled. I think there was an argument over it,” told a spot boy to Born of Web as we visited the area to attend the do. While other stalls and mini-food joints were still hosting guests, Pernia’s party pop-up was reportedly shut by the organisers of the fashion week.
According to a report published in The Times of India, FDCI chief Sunil Sethi had a heated argument with Pernia Qureshi who accused her of ‘ambush marketing’. Sethi charged the fashionista of organising a proxy promotional event, which is a strict ‘No’ at the venue, hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India. “She planned a party at our venue without taking due permission, and alcohol was being served there, when no other food stalls in the area is allowed to serve liquor at the venue without licence and other permissions. When we have Amazon as our sponsors, she was trying to promote her online brand by hosting a private party at our venue. This is ambush marketing,” Sethi told Delhi Times.
Sources close to Pernia Qureshi defended her saying she did not know the terms and conditions of the FDCI and that outsiders were not allowed at the NSIC Grounds, where the five-day fashion affair took place. “The party was cancelled two hours in advance as and when we came to know that outsiders, who do not have passes from the FDCI, were not allowed to enter,” told her publicist, who sent out party invites, to Born of Web.
However, Sethi’s anguish was endorsed by many in the fraternity as the invitation rolled out by Pernia’s publicity team did mention her online brand as the host of the party. Choreographer Harmeet Bajaj, also the director at Smoke House Deli, was quoted, “It is quite gutsy for her to take such a step. We didn’t even know that the FDCI was not informed about this party. She approached our staff saying that she wanted to host a get-together for 20-30 of her friends and we didn’t realise that it could be used as space for her online brand.” Pernia shrugged off the matter saying it was just a get-together and not a formal party.
