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 Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW)
Mar 21-26, 2007, New Delhi, India |
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WIFW selects India's most promising talent to showcase in the HI-5 category
Designers debut at FDCI’s Autumn/Winter Showcase
New Delhi, February 21, 2007: Further punctuating its commitment to nurturing and promoting new talent in the Indian fashion industry, WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK today announced another new initiative which promises to be a key highlight at the WIFW Autumn/Winter Showcase. After rounds of scrutinising a list of twenty prospects, using an arduous selection process, five designers were selected to showcase their collections in the Hi-5 Category in the upcoming WIFW, which will be held in New Delhi from March 21-26, 2007.
The Hi-5 designers that have been selected are Ameet Sikka, Neetu Gupta, Samant Chauhan, Shubhra and Zubair Kirmani.
Announcing the names of the Hi-5 designers for the WIFW Autumn/Winter 2007 Showcase, Rathi Vinay Jha, Director General, FDCI, said, “While WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK boasts of the biggest names in the business. Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) promotes industry in various other ways. We nurture young talent and encourage them to enter the market. Hence, the introduction of this initiative was only a natural step to take forward the process of evolution of the Indian fashion industry.”
“India has a pool of young talent waiting to be tapped. Through WIFW, the FDCI aims to serve as a catalyst towards taking the Indian industry to international levels by encouraging new designers so that they dream big and chart out new avenues. I wish our Hi-5 designers the very best”, she added.
A dedicated slot (the Hi-5 Category) would be allotted to these upcoming, promising designers, who will be given the chance to show their talent for both pret and diffusion lines using twelve garments.
As India’s only fashion trade event focused on the Business of Fashion, WIFW draws the biggest domestic and international buyers, media and fashionistas. This will therefore prove to be a golden opportunity for these designers to show their creativity and mettle to India and the world.
Apart from their excellence and quality in design, these budding designers have a passion for fashion. And while they are considered new talent, they come backed with strong credentials. Samant Chauhan enjoys working on natural fibres. He has participated in the Singapore Fashion Week and was the Ist runner up at the Asian Young Designer Contest SFW’05. Shubhra, a strong believer of creativity with a cause, has won the Femina Design Contest, Zubair Kirmani, who hails from Kashmir, is known for blending contemporary minimalism with classic heritage. Neetu and Raj from Bangalore are futuristic in their feel, bring forward collections that are a sophisticated grunge for new age feel that brings forward ladies feminine robotic side. Ameet Sikka is a graduate from NIFT with a post grad diploma from Nottingham Trent University, specializing in woman’s wear, laying special emphasis to cut and form, using a mix of fabrics and textures.
The selection process was extremely challenging and competitive - from a total of 20 applicants, the jury selected the five best, as listed above. Creativity, quality and design edge were the benchmarks for their selection.
Atul Chand, Vice President, Marketing, ITC’s Lifestyle Retailing, said, “The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week is the country’s biggest and most prestigious lifestyle event. We have already received an overwhelming response from the designer fraternity for the event and I am sure that the younger talent to be showcased as a part of Hi5 category will add a lot of freshness and zing to the event.”
Preeta Singh, CEO, PDM said, “Congratulations to these budding Hi-5 designers. Their creativity and commitment to craftsmanship is visible in their designs. I am proud of the fact that PDM, through WIFW has provided a platform for these young designers, to showcase their talent.
On being selected to showcase for the Hi-5 category at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2007, here is what these designers had to say:
Neetu Gupta: It’s an opportunity for us to bring forward to the global audience our mind frame and our views about design and texture …to top it all our style and sensibilities to clothing… at WIFW. FDCI has always been supportive towards us and it’s our pleasure to be part of this Mega Event.
Shubhra: “Hi-five” as a concept puts forth a perfect platform for the budding designers to showcase their work and carve their niche in the fashion world. As a participant I think it is just right in purpose and essence and shall successfully bring forth a lot more new talent onto the fashion scene!!”
Ameet Sikka: “For a range of semi formal and casual clothes for daily wear as well as occasions, my collection is a mix of east and west with inspiration being taken from old Indian silhouettes and motifs in an attempt to modernize them and make contemporary. I am very happy to be part of WIFW.”
Samant Chauhan: “I feel ecstatic and at the same time humbled with the knowledge that my collection has been selected for the Hi-5 slot to be showcased in "Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week", along side the top names from the industry. "Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week" being the most prestigious and the most widely covered fashion event in the country, attracting press and buyers from all over the world, I am sure that this participation will give me the much-required exposure and stimuli to my career. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity given to me by the Apex body of Fashion FDCI, and I hope that I will be able to live up to the expectations of all who have stood by me.”
Zubair Kirmani: “It is overwhelming to see young designers share same space with experienced designers. It would be a veritable mix of expertise and tyro. The whole experience would surely help us learn and evolve. The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week is a great platform for budding designers to reach out to their target audience, generate business and get recognition, which would normally not be possible. It will also expose us to critics whose sharp evaluation would help us improve our designs.”
About FDCI
FDCI, a not for profit organization, is the apex industry body in the field of fashion design in India. Its primary objective is to provide a cohesive platform for Indian designers and act as the mouthpiece of the industry at all relevant platforms, in a bid to promote Indian fashion - at home and abroad. FDCI is actively involved in promoting the 'business of fashion' in India and working towards corporatisation of fashion labels in India. FDCI is instrumental in facilitating designer-corporate tie-ups, aimed at expanding the designer prêt market in the country. For details visit www.fdci.org
About Wills Lifestyle:
ITC’s Wills Lifestyle has been established as a vibrant fashion brand for the premium consumer. Wills Lifestyle offers a complete lifestyle wardrobe for the premium consumer, incorporating the latest fashion trends for both men and women. A nationwide chain of exclusive specialty stores provides the Indian consumer a truly 'International Shopping Experience'. Currently there are 40 Wills Lifestyle stores in 30 cities across the country, and the brand is making rapid strides in terms of expansion – doubling the number of stores over the next three years. For details visit www.willslifestyle.com
About PDM:
PDM, a Percept Holdings company, formed in 1994 is a pioneer in sports and entertainment marketing in India. Over the years PDM has established itself as the undisputed leader in the experiential brand marketing space, with an impressive client base. PDM specializes in consulting, conceptualizing, sponsorship and implementation of unique brand experiences and events. PDM leads in four core domains, Sports Management, Entertainment and Fashion Management, Brand Activation and Celebrity Management. PDM has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Dubai and London. For more details: log onto www.pdmindia.com
Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week
www.willslifestyleindiafashionweek.com |
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