Designers at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week have found a new way to add a dose of entertainment to their shows Inviting a live performer to open the show. On Thursday, singer Anushka Manchanda, dressed in a pink gown with a thigh-high slit, opened designer Raakesh Aggarvwal’s show by crooning a remixed version Peggy Lee’s vintage song, You Give Me Fever.

Earlier in the week, designer Anupama Dayal  got a sarangi player to open her show. Designers Payal Jain and Sanchita Ajjampur’s show today will see percussion specialist Taufiq Quereshi play live. “Who needs a Bollywood show-stopper when there are such fabuolous performers?,” says Jain. “Internationally, fashion houses such as Lanvin and Chanel add such elements to engage the audience,” adds Ajjampur.  “Anything that gives a fresh break adds an interesting angle,” says fashion expert Harmeet Bajaj. The artists, too, see this as a positive trend. “Such a performance gives a dramatic turn to the show,” says Manchanda.