BUDDING DESIGNERS SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT
Shoppers Stop partnered with fashion design institutes and colleges for Shoppers Stop Designer of the Year 2017, a platform that recognises and rewards budding fashion design students. Out of 700 applicants, 13 students were shortlisted for the grand finale, which was judged by a panel comprising designers Rocky S, Falguni & Shane Peacock, and Govind Shrikhande, customer care associate and managing director, Shoppers Stop Ltd.
Rocky said it was an honour for him to be on the panel of judges and that he was excited to see their potential, while Falguni was “excited to discover the next big names in fashion.”
Showstopper Aditi Rao Hydari, who showcased the Shoppers Stop private brand segment, along with Kunal Kapoor, said that “the energy of the young designers was infectious and ideas are phenomenal”.
Kunal said he was “amazed” with the kind of talent that the young fashion students have. He said, “Their designs reflect their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives. Everyone here is a winner, especially Shoppers Stop for introducing this fabulous talent to the industry.”
Models such as Anchal Kumar, Sucheta Sharma, Sony Kaur, Arshia Ahuja and Anita Kumar walked the ramp in the students’ designs. The 13 finalists were Adiba Zaidi, Alka Bishnoi, Bhoomi Desai, Chitra Lal, Jaspreet Cibbar, Krusha Gala, Monika Sharma, Neha Pandey, Priyanka Kalita, Saikat Mondal, Shrishti Kushwaha, Vijendra Dubey and Vivek Mishra. The Shoppers Stop Designer of the Year 2017 winners Vivek Mishra of Pearl Academy (South Delhi), Alka Bishnoi of Pearl Academy (Noida), Vijendra Dubey of INIFD (Indore) and Chitra Lal of NIFT (Delhi) will get an opportunity to retail their collection across select Shoppers Stop stores exclusively for Shoppers Stop’s private brands. The runners-up will get a chance to intern at the fashion retailer.
Speaking on the occasion, Shrikhande said, “Over the last 25 years, we’ve nurtured India’s foremost fashion design talent including names such as Priyadarshini Rao and Payal Singhal. We continue that legacy with Shoppers Stop Designer of the Year 2017. Our aim is to funnel fresh and forwardthinking minds into the fashion industry through this platform. We are glad to have fashion icons and longstanding partners Rocky, and Falguni & Shane on board with us this year to mentor the students. I extend my heartiest congratulations to the winners of this year’s edition.”