Fashion Design Council of India celebrates its 30th annual jamboree

For most designers, the upcoming collections mean coming full circle in their journeys

Designer Anju Modi is knee-deep in work, putting together the final looks for the upcoming Amazon India Fashion Week. This edition is a particularly significant one for her as it marks 25 years of being part of the fashion industry, and she is trying to encapsulate this journey through her Swadeshi collection. It’s a laurel that she shares with four other veteran designers — Abraham & Thakore, Ashish N Soni, J J Valaya and Payal Jain. The work by each of them has become a marker of sorts in contemporary fashion history.
 
However, the milestones don’t end there. Yet another designer, who has been an integral part of the Indian design story — Suneet Varma — will be commemorating 30 years in fashion. It is to applaud these landmarks that the theme “celebration” underlies the forthcoming event, presented by the Fashion Design Council of India, or FDCI, in association with Nexa Spring-Summer 2018. “One more reason to celebrate is that this is the 30th edition of the Amazon India Fashion Week,” says Sunil Sethi, for whom the event marks a personal milestone, of sorts, as well. “This is my tenth year as FDCI president,” he says.
 
Through the event, he wishes to highlight the evolution of India’s fashion industry, fuelled by designers who have put in more than 25 years of hard work in shaping design sensibilities. “There is Abraham & Thakore, who are seriously into textiles, and Soni, one of the best-known names for men’s wear. Then there’s Valaya, who has ruled with his larger-than-life image and Jain, whose work is now being fêted. Also, Modi, who used to work out of her home in her early years, now has factories and is a celebrated couturier. We are showcasing their growth stories,” says Sethi. Nearly 100 designers will present their creations on the runway this year, pushing the envelope in cutting-edge fashion.
 
For most of these designers, the upcoming collections mean coming full circle in their journeys. For instance, Modi started her career by visiting remote villages and learning age-old techniques from craftsmen. “I call them my gurus and I’m presenting my interpretation of this rich heritage,” she says. Inspired by the Swadeshi movement, the collection features handwoven fabrics such as khadi in an organic palette and hues of indigo. It’s a contemporary take on the raw, rugged fabric made on charkhas — apparel for modern women across the globe. Abraham & Thakore, too, carry forth their exploration of traditional textiles and contemporary silhouettes in the collection, #blockblackwhite. Since their launch in London at The Conran Shop 25 years ago, the designer duo has been working with ancient techniques such as ikat to create a language that is relevant to customers everywhere. Years ago, they interpreted the houndstooth pattern in double ikat and are now deconstructing the process of creating patterns on surfaces. “Rather than incise motifs onto the surface of a wood block, we have used an uncarved block to create solid colour on the fabric,” says David Abraham.
 
This focus on Indian craft heritage is evident in Varma’s Garden of Eden as well, in which he has created a mix of traditional motifs with abstract art works. This grand finale couture collection is perfect for the romantic modern woman, with the sensuality coming through in the use of sheer fabrics, delicate placement of embellishments and choice of drapes.
 
While these designers continue their brand story, Jain will present a collection that is completely different from her signature classic style because this edition celebrates “a hell of a journey”, as she puts it. Expect the unexpected from her new line, in which she has completely let go, in terms of colour and texture.

The 30th edition of the Amazon India Fashion Week will be held between October 11 and 15 at the NSIC Grounds, New Delhi