INDIA, Sept. 19 - Sidney Sheldon would have loved it. The Lakme India Fashion Week in Delhi had all the spice of a pungent paperback: glamorous models, bare-devilry on the catwalk, high-profile designers, retailers eyeing their wares,

An Indian model displays designer Tarun Tahiliani's fall collection.

socialites dressed to kill and pretty boys in their peacock best, not to miss the open squabbles between participants in full view of the press.

"This is serious business," declares Sumeet Nair, spokesperson for the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), organizers of India's biggest ever fashion extravaganza. "This is a trade fair, not a tamasha," insists Delhi couturier Tarun Tahiliani. Well, we wouldn't have known that, would we? Still, it was a great story to tell. Sheldon was not present, but Commonwealth Prize-winning writer Vikram Chandra was floating around, clicking photographs, jotting down notes and "soaking in the atmosphere for a future project ... can't tell you what it is." He might just begin where Shobha De (who was also present, but no, she didn't need to take notes) left off many years ago.

The week drew to a close in a shower of silver confetti and barrels of, not bubbly, but plain ol' beer-Vijay Mallya's UB Group was, after all, a contributor of sorts.

Silk, satin, chiffon, flared skirts, skin-tight trousers, sheer dresses, chappals with parrots on straps, sarongs (we don't call 'em lungis), even saris - exactly 1,536 outfits were paraded on the ramp as 32 designers unveiled their ready-to-wear (pret-a-porter to the initiated) collections at over 23 shows. So what if most of them were from Delhi ... a few from Calcutta, Bangalore, Mumbai, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur and Goa were also thrown in.

So, has Indian fashion come of age? "India is definitely in vogue all over Europe," says has-been model and fashion addict Queenie Singh Dodhy, swaying sinuously in her aqua green Versace patent leather pantsuit. Top stores in London like Harvey Nichols and Harrods now sell beaded bags, anklets and batik printed dresses sourced from India,

Models displaying Tarun Tahiliani's ornate lengha collections.

but Made-in-India westernwear still has few takers "They just don't have the same finish," Dhody cribs. Protests Bal, pulling at his short, tinted hair: "For God's sake, where is the market for western clothes?"

Many Indian designers tend to confuse the western look with being inanely skimpy. Delhi party-hopper Devika Mehra, who is into international haute couture, says, "You can't just drape a sari without a blouse and term it a creation." Tina Tahiliani Parikh, who runs the successful store Ensemble, is quietly guarded in her assessment of the creations presented last week. "It's pretty obvious some are straight lifts from Fashion TV and Vogue, but there is some creativity out there which will eventually get noticed," she concedes. So where do they go from here? As an industry they would hope to open new markets for their lines. But lend an ear to Manish Arora, known for his wacky outfits: "If my clothes don't sell, I'll wear them myself!" Charity always begins at home, maybe fashion could too.

Pick of the Week:
ROHIT BAL: The mad boy of Indian design, Bal drew a crowd at his mostly white show of menswear. "The women will go wild at my show," he promised mischievously, "so will some men." They did. RAJESH PRATAP SINGH: The painfully media-shy Singh impressed with his well-structured, simple yet attractive designs in vibrant colors.
PUJA NAYYAR: This shrewd, upcoming youngster created what many buyers and designers conceded was one of the "truly pret" collections of the event.
MONISHA JAISING: "What's new?" is the question asked after most Indian fashion shows. The sleek, sexy trousers by this lone Mumbai representative didn't invite that question.
MANISH ARORA: He's known for his over-the-top designs, but Arora really made an effort to tone down his trademark wacko style to acceptably funky levels.
RITU KUMAR: After 28 years in the business, just when people were taking this queen mother of Indian fashion for granted, she created perhaps the biggest stir with her elegant pret interpretations of ethnic motifs, cuts and silhouettes. Wearable and beautiful.