Padma Shri awardee and designer Ritu Kumar awed the audience with her 'Varanasi Weaves' collection on Day 2 of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week 2015 in Mumbai. Kumar's initiative to honour Varanasi weavers was supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari too joined hands by walking down the runway as a showstopper.
The designer, who beautifully merged textiles with fashion on the ramp, said, "In today's day, it is very important for the fashion and textile world to come together. They should not isolate pockets anymore, if we want really traditional textiles to survive, because it is the USP of our country".
Hydari wore a beautiful pink colour Banarsi saree in a contemporary avatar. Supporting the handloom in the country the actress said; "I've grown up in a house where handloom has been a choice and a lot of people in my family have made a conscious decision to support handloom to make sure it doesn't die out".
Lauding Ritu Kumar's initiative to support the handloom industry in India, Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi said; "One good thing in today's fashion that I can see is that we are going towards our roots and embracing it".
Lakme Fashion Week 2015 is a five-day event to showcase the winter collection by famous designers in Mumbai from 26 to 30 August.
Ritu Kumar.
