By IANS,
New Delhi : The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) Tuesday formally announced the staging of what it termed “the newest and most glamorous event” on its calendar, the HDIL India Couture Week (HDIL ICW) in Mumbai Sep 16-21.
“The event will showcase 11 of India’s finest couturiers and aims to provide a platform for Indian couture in the same way that the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week has been a powerful stage for Indian prêt-a-porter,” an FDCI statement said.
The HDIL India Couture Week has been made possible by the support of principal sponsor HDIL, one of the largest listed real estate players in India, with some of the largest commercial and retail developments. HDIL has significant investments in retail development catering to the Indian fashion Industry, the statement added.
The inaugural HDIL India Couture Week will be held at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, with two theatrically produced shows to be be held each evening of the event.
“We are delighted to formally announce the staging of India’s first Couture Fashion Week, HDIL India Couture Week. This event will be a celebration of Indian fashion and will feature some of the country’s finest couture designers,” FDCI President Sunil Sethi said.
“After a period of relative unrest in the industry, it is wonderful to see the fashion community coming together on one platform to progress the cause of Indian fashion,” he added.
Sunny Dewan Wadhawan, managing director HDIL, said: “We are proud to be associated with HICW, an event created to celebrate India’s fashion heritage by showcasing leading couture designers of the day.
“This move into fashion is in broader synergy with the group’s long term strategies and objectives. We believe fashion, especially in the area of couture and bridal wear, is a central interest in the lives of a great proportion of Indians. We would like to be part of ensuring that India’s fashion heritage is preserved and nurtured. Our core belief at HDIL is in ‘Creating Value’ and with HDIL India Couture Week we would like to ‘create value’ for the Indian fashion industry,” Wadhawan added.
The designers participating in the couture week are Anamika Khanna, Ashish Soni, J.J. Valaya, Manav Gangwani, Manish Malhotra, Pallavi Jaikishan, Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Suneet Varma, Tarun Tahiliani and Varun Bahl.