Delhi Couture Week aims to boost high-end fashion
By IANSFriday, June 25, 2010
NEW DELHI - Aiming to boost the niche style segment, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) is set to host the inaugural Pearl Delhi Couture Week (PDCW) here July 20-25 after running two hugely successful editions of a similar event in Mumbai.
“Looking at the fashion scene in the capital, we thought it was the right time to cash in on it. Also, a lot of Delhi’s designer are couturiers and they have their own clientele. So, to get them more business, we came up with this one,” FDCI president Sunil Sethi told IANS about the rationale for the event.
“This is another important milestone for the fashion industry as we will bring the best couturiers to create an exclusive platform in the wake of increasing demand for this segment,” he added.
PDCW has an interesting mix of designers. In all, 19 will participate in the event, which will have two shows per day at the Grand Hotel, Vasant Kunj.
Of the designers, 13 - Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Gaurav Gupta, JJ Valaya, Manav Gangwani, Pallavi Jaikishan, Raakesh Agarvwal, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Suneet Varma and Varun Bahl - will showcase their creations on the ramp.
The remaining six - Ekru by Ekta & Ruchira, Geisha designs by Paras & Shalini, Jaya Rathore, Monapali, Reynu Taandon and Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul label - will display special installations.
Sethi also pointed out that with the onset of the “great Indian wedding” and “the grand festivals of India”, the time is right for an event of such a magnitude, as the fashion industry witnesses maximum sales and large scale orders.
The main sponsor of the event is real estate major Pearl Group. There are also partners like the group’s P7 TV channel and the Signature brand of United Spirits.
Designer Sunnet Varma, who has participated in both the editions of Mumbai Couture Week, said: ”Couture is the celebration of craft, skill, talent, brilliance, all over the world. For me, once you are given a platform like this as a couturier, this means you are considered to be the best.”
“Here you would be competing with yourself. I have already done two couture weeks in Mumbai and now in Delhi. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of it,” he added.
