Archana Rao wins Vogue India Fashion Fund

Hyderabad-based designer Archana Rao has bagged the

coveted Vogue India Fashion Fund award from among five other finalists. She won the prize money amounting of Rs 25 lakh. Her work was appreciated and selected by the panel of judges comprising of Vogue India editor Priya Tanna, fashion director Anaita Shroff Adajania, fashion features director Bandana Tewari along with designers Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Suneet Varma.

Rao was chosen after rigorous rounds which involved showcasing a capsule collection of three original designs and a business plan that justified her winning the prize money at the Vogue India Fashion Fund 2013. Other than being featured in Vogue India, student of NIFT and Parsons School of Design, New York, Rao will also get a chance to commercialise her brand through leading retailer Westside, while getting exclusive access to prominent platforms in the industry to promote her line and a one-year business mentorship with an industry professional.

Vogue India invites entries from emerging fashion designers based on pre-defined eligibility criteria. The judging panel shortlists 20 designers at first from the entries, further narrowing this list down to top five based on interviews and the creation of a special capsule collection. One final winner will be chosen and announced at a celebratory event in October.