FADW FW'19 gives 360-degree perspective to fashion

The event provided a comprehensive platform for creativity and business in the world of fashion as it hosted more than 40 designers who presented their collections on the ramp.

Day 1 commenced with the welcome note, brand presentations and product launch. This was followed by a performance by MJ 5. The beautiful show paved way for more artistry that started with the opening show of ace designer Dhruv Sehgal. A name to reckon with in menswear space, Sehgal ventured into womenswear recently and his collection bowled the audience over with its astute understanding of feminine trends.

Day 2 kicked off with the NextGen designer show in recently passed-out fashion students from across the country competed for the title of NextGen Emerging Talent Season 9. Out of the 20 noteworthy participations, 10 were represented in this round.

The evening was followed by the Budding Designers Show, giving a much-needed platform to aspiring designers. The day concluded with the NewGen Designer Show presented by Nature's Tattva, India's first and only DIY beauty brand. The designers who showcased their amazing collections were Anjini Sharma, Doiekn by Apoorva Mahajan and Sandeep Singh.

The fashion event also witnessed a gathering of 100+ investors for start-ups pitch. The session was organised under the Fashion & Design Conclave presented by Skootr, a leading premium managed-office space provider. The fashion start-ups that had come up with pitches for angel investors included 6 Degree (a fashion tech start-up), The Knotty Tales (tech enabled wedding platform), DROR (women safety app), and Eunimart (cross border trading enabling platform for MSMEs). They made impressive presentations for their business and sought second round of funding from the 100 odd investors present in the audience.

Business proceedings continued on Day 3 with two engaging talk shows. 'Runway to Export' had five buyers as panellists who discussed the opportunities in retail/export business. The discussion opened up avenues of exports for Indian designers who have been hitherto limited to local clientele only. The 'Under the Influence' panel had social media influencers who debated about the pressure of communication through social media and the role it plays in today's fashion business. Influencers were also part of the ramp show that followed the panel discussion. The panel discussions and talks on both the days ran to full houses. Noteworthy names such as Anuj Saxena, joint managing director, Skootr and Amy Jitpatima, director, MQDC, were also part of the proceedings.

Day 3 also saw the second round of NextGen Show, which had the rest 10 students showcasing their collections, as well as a show by Budding Designers. The NextGen talent competed for three categories – Best Emerging Talent, Best Sustainable Collection and Best Commercial Collection. At a glittering awards function, the winners of the competition were announced. The Best Commercial Collection award went to Ansha Bansal, while the Best Sustainable Collection went to Ridhika Jain. Winner of NextGen Emerging Talent were Meetali and Nimeshika.

After the awards ceremony, The Pee Safe presented designer Rosy Ahluwalia for the finale as she brought forth her resplendent collection of Indian and western wear. The beautiful Shibani Kashyap, a singer with a soulful voice, was the showstopper. She walked down the ramp in a stunning Indian number in yellow. Pee Safe, one of India's leading personal hygiene brand that aims at making personal hygiene every woman's right, reiterated its mission statement by backing the finale show.

Apart from the runway shows, FADW 2019 provided a B2B exhibition space for designers to showcase their work and engage with potential buyers. It proved to be an open connection for all fashion professionals, such as designers, buyers, fabric manufacturers, retailers and stylists, to network and exchange business ideas as well as to collaborate and conceive alliances. FADW '19 had a mix of fashion, talent, glamour, creativity and business.

ADW has progressively become an aspirational platform for fashion designers from across Asia to show their creativity, since its inception in October 2015. ADW brings in established national and international designers, buyers, industry veterans, media personalities, as well as businesses, institutes and government organisations.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)