The IIFA Rocks fashion show and concert should have been less sponsor, less music and more fashion

Starting off a Bollywood-inspired fashion show with a Michael Jackson tribute concert might be, well, a strange way to kick things off. And indeed, as Jermaine Jackson, the former frontman of the Jackson Five, lead a troupe of MJ dress-alikes (all wearing sequined black jackets and black fedoras) through a rendition of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” we wondered how we ended up in the Twilight Zone. We were slightly more reassured when famed playback singer Sonu Nigam joined Jackson on stage to sing “This Is It,” a song Nigam wrote in memory of the King of Pop (who was apparently a major Bollywood fan, and who died two years ago this past weekend), but we weren’t totally convinced we were in the right place until the fashion show started. Find out about the show’s highlights (and lowlights) after the jump.

Indian designers Rajesh Pratap Singh, Vikram Phadnis and Sabyasachi each sent out collections that mixed Eastern and Western aesthetics. Traditional saris, glamorous gowns and casual streetwear were shown by both models and Bollywood celebrities, including Bipasha Basu, Sonakshi Sinha, Neha Dhupia, Zayed Khan and Rahul Khanna.  Sabyasachi’s collection was particularly interesting (when someone goes by only one name, you know they’re going to be amazing: Madonna comes to mind, or, um, Snooki), with bold colours and striking silhouettes.

The Bay, an event sponsor, also took over the runway to feature Canadian talents Vawk, Erdem, Arthur Mendonça and Wayne Clark.  We love supporting Canadian designers, but seeing these relatively unoriginal creations in the middle of an otherwise exciting (albeit drawn-out) show was almost as strange as the Michael Jackson tribute bit (almost, but not quite).

See the green carpet with some of the most beautiful women we’ve ever seen »