The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour goes beyond conventional runway shows in its 15th edition to unveil a new face of fashion. With designer Ashish Soni as curator-in-chief and in collaboration with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the tour will create a universe of pride through its three themes — Craft, Blend and Identity — in the three city chapters of Delhi (with its patent modernity), Kolkata (with its extraordinary craft) and Hyderabad (with its consummate synthesis of the ancient and the modern), respectively.
Bringing a blank canvas to life, the evening of the preview was a take on ‘Pride’ by acclaimed designers Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, along with their muses Rhea Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Kusha Kapila. Adding to the theatrical drama were models in white muslin garments.
Speaking about her curation, My Craft, My Pride, designer Anamika Khanna said, “I believe that craft exposes human experience beyond the visual and cerebral and helps them explore it though their hands. In a machine-made world, it slows everything down, keeps traditional techniques alive and enables us to make something by ourselves. Through my association with the fashion tour, I take immense pride in showcasing the importance of craft by representing the diverse and impeccably rich culture of India.”
Manish Malhotra, talking about his theme, My Identity, My Pride, said, “Evolution represents the merger of traditional values with modern expression. The fashion industry is a fast-paced, ever-evolving space, whose limits are constantly tested by everyone. It’s an absolute honour to be associated with the tour, which will paint a picture of tradition on a canvas of technology, that will be an expression of my identity in a unique fashion.”
Speaking of their concept, My Blend, My Pride, designers Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla said, “The concept of ‘Blend’ is an ode to the unifying power of fashion and its ability to transcend borders and geographies. We return to our roots, our extraordinary legacy of indigenous textiles, craft techniques and embroideries to fashion a brand-new expression, which is unfettered by rules or borders. We take immense pleasure in my association with this year’s fashion tour, where our showcase will be a tribute to the coming together of past, present and future, of multiple elements, silhouettes and moods to create a new fashion landscape.”
It will include segments like — The Exhibit, The Fashion Incubator and The Panel Discussion. While ‘The Exhibit’ will be an artistic display of iconic pieces of famed designers, ‘The Fashion Incubator’ will showcase the work of aspiring designers who have emerged as winners from ‘The Showcase’, an opportunity for aspiring fashion designers and models. At ‘The Panel Discussion’, there will be an intellectual exchange of ideas among industry stalwarts, on game-changing influences in the fashion arena.
(The fashion tour will take place on January 22 in Kolkata, on February 1 in Hyderabad, on February 8 in Delhi and on February 22 in Mumbai.)