AIFW 2015: Designs rooted in India but made for the world

Replica of the famous Ganga river of Banaras served as the perfect backdrop for the ‘Born in Banaras’ grand finale show of the Amazon India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016. The show expressed its support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign.

The fashion extravaganza started on October 7, 2015 at a new venue this season at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla. With an equal mix of veteran and budding talent, AIFW presented a blend of India and the West through fashion.

Banarasi weaves with a modern twist

Almost 16 recognised names from the fashion industry such as Abhishek Gupta, Abraham & Thakore, Alpana Neeraj, Anupama Dayal, Arjun Saluja, Ashish N Soni, Atsu, Gauri & Nainika, JJ Valaya, Malini Ramani, Manish Arora, Namrata Joshipura, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Sabyasachi, and Tarun Tahiliani presented their take on the Banarasi weaves.

Models sashayed down the ramp donning backless gowns, smart jacket dresses, asymmetrical designs, resort wear and lehangas with sensuous cholis. Dominated by the shades of black, golden, red, maroon and beige, designer Manish Arora’s designs also had glimpses of beige and sky blue in lehangas that were teamed with long embroidered jackets. Sabyasachi created lehengas , saris and sherwanis in Banarasi weaves by mixing three different shades of green, while Valaya combined bottle green, champagne pink and red for his floor length anarkali and lehanga .

At the beginning of the show, Sunil Sethi, President of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), welcomed all the designers, guests, designer-politician Shaina NC and Diego Piacentini, Senior Vice President, International Retail, Amazon. “What started with six designers in Mumbai, went onto become 70 designers in Banaras and today we have over hundred designers from all walks of life, big, small, established, not so established, working in Banaras, paying a tribute to the master weavers and especially the artisans,” exclaimed Shina N C.

The AIFW finale ended on the celebratory note with tunes of ‘shehnai’ adding making a lasting impact on the audience.

With India at heart, designers present modern designs

While most of the designers chose rich Indian weaves and colours to create their collections, the ensembles had a global appeal in them. For instance, Raw Mango's Sanjay Garg, who debuted and inaugurated the AIFW, showcased his love for Indian handicrafts and celebrated the 'mashru' textile through his designs. Designer Samant Chauhan is also working towards revolutionising the delicate Bhagalpuri silk.

In all, 115 designers took part in the fashion week this time. Some other highlights of the event included Woolmark prize winner Indian designer Rahul Mishra’s installation from his Paris Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2016 collection on October 11 at the French embassy; FDCI’s tribute to late fashion photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta through an exhibition. There was also a discussion program on the theme of ‘Fashion Forward’ to explore design processes through Indian aesthetics in the international context. Also designer duo Shivan and Narresh showcased their exclusive creations at an offsite show at the Imperial Hotel.

Also for the first time, WGSN, the world's leading fashion and consumer trend forecasting service unveiled the Spring/Summer 2016 Global Trends Insights for women's wear during the show. The presentation at the Amazon India Fashion Week in New Delhi gave an outline of macro trend forecasts and clear visual themes that will dominate the upcoming season's fashion demand.