By Durga Chakravarty and Simran Sethi
New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) With a line-up of over 60 designers, including names such as Rahul Mishra, Rina Dhaka, Dolly J and Samant Chauhan, the forthcoming Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week (LMIFW) Autumn Winter 2019 -- a four-day fashion gala starting here on Wednesday -- will celebrate everything to do with women and sustainability.
The extravaganza, organised by India's apex fashion body Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), will see designers present high-end and bespoke lines at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here till March 16.
While the opening show 'Liva Eco Green Heart Show' will have designers Sahil Kochhar, Shalini James, Dhaka and Chauhan showcase a sustainable collection made with eco-friendly fabric LivaEco, the gala's grand finale will be about myriad interpretations of the evergreen six-yard wonder.
The sari, its multiplicity and its personality will be celebrated by designers Akaaro, Amit Aggarwal, Anamika Khanna, Anavila, Anita Dongre, Gaurav Gupta, Pankaj & Nidhi, Raw Mango, Rimzim Dadu, Rohit Bal, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, Tarun Tahiliani, Urvashi Kaur and Wendell Rodricks among many others.
The event will also give a voice to the weavers, according to Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) President Sunil Sethi, who said they have an exciting line-up of shows planned, with a good balance of old and new talent.
"Every sari weaver has a story to be told and through LMIFW Autumn/Winter 2019, we are giving a voice to those weavers who have consistently helped in maintaining our Indian culture alive," Sethi told IANS.
FDCI has also launched a social media campaign celebrating the sari, inviting women across India to post their pictures in their saris on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
"Many groups have attached to the #sixyardsof campaign which will finally culminate in the grand finle. Sari, women and shringaar (make-up) go hand in hand and I am happy our sponsor has supported it," Sethi added.
A highlight of the four-day event will be designers pledging against child labour as FDCI is joining hands with Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi.
The event will see Bollywood celebrities like Karisma Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh and Radhika Apte walk the ramp.
Karisma will flaunt the Mekhela chador by Sanjukta Dutta, and Radhika will catwalk for Pawan Sachdeva.
"My collection celebrates womanhood and Radhika fits the mould," Sachdeva told IANS. His line includes asymmetrical cuts, belted garments and structured fits amalgamating with different prints diffusing into an array of colour palette.
The last day of the event is dedicated to Pearl Portfolio, where the students of Pearl Academy will showcase their talent.
An FDCI Designer Stockroom will be held on March 17-18, where India's top designers will directly retail their creations to consumers at competitive prices.
(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in and Simran Sethi can be contacted at simran.s@ians.in)
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