Ace fashion designer Wendell Rodricks used the platform of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) here to pay tributes to Isadora Duncan - the pioneer of modern dance.

Calling his presentation "Isadora in India", Rodricks, a former catering student, showcased clothing that was reflective of the culture of dance in the country.

"My presentation is about Isadora Duncan, the pioneer of modern dance form. My clothes are going to be just that, clothing for dance - wearable and simple and yet dramatic."

Talking to on the sidelines of LFW, Rodricks said: "What's going to take India into the globalised world is the next generation represented by people like (designer) Sabyaschi (Mukherjee), who can really make a difference because they have learnt the professionalism of the industry from a very young age.

"Also the hope that there will be recognition from the government. They (the government) have to put their hand into the industry to support it and let it make a mark abroad."

Asked if Bollywood's stranglehold over Indian fashion was in anyway crippling, Rodricks replied in the negative, saying the two industries complemented each other very well.

"The public loves Bollywood too much. The fashion industry is very much into that chemistry between Bollywood and the masses.

"Earlier Bollywood fashion was considered too filmy and jarring for mass consumption. But now film fashion is more reflective of and accepted by the people."

On the need to take fashion beyond the contours of the four metros Rodricks - himself based in Goa - said such a shift would eventually happen.

"I am all for moving fashion into the smaller towns. But problems will arise in terms of media exposure and infrastructure. One cannot hope to get the kind of exposure in smaller towns as we get in Delhi or Mumbai," he said.

"In smaller towns fashion is still at the entertainment level. You can't expect foreign buyers to jump cities. But I guess its just matter of time before things will more towards the smaller towns."

The spring/summer Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) opened Tuesday. Top names like Ritu Beri, who will be presenting the grand finale, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra, Suneet Varma, Rocky S., Ashish Soni and Priyadarshini Rao will showcase their designs at the five-day event.

The fashion mega event here will be followed by the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) from April 5-9 in New Delhi.