Couturiers unite for a cause
Many in the fashion world are experiencing severe repercussions because of the lockdown. But as every crisis brings with it an opportunity, designers, too, are finding innovative ways to fight the pandemic.
Through a unique digital and charity initiative, designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil recently brought together four fashion stalwarts of India in a live weekly series of ‘The Fraternity Talks with Shantanu and Nikhil’. Ace couturiers Manish Malhotra, Rahul Mishra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun
Tahiliani shared strategies to survive the post pandemic world, and insightful information as risk mitigation steps. The designers also auctioned one masterpiece from their collection to raise money for Covid-19 Support Fund by Fashion Design Council of India .
Shantanu Mehra believes that unique times call for extraordinary initiatives, and expresses his gratitude towards the participating designers and FDCI for joining hands. He says, “I feel that while the world is continuing to follow social distancing, fashion fraternity for the longest time, had been maintaining a social distance.
We either met at fashion or courtier weeks or parties. But never really came together as a community.” To this, Nikhil Mehra explains, “The intent of curating this campaign was to create a dossier of sorts that not only benefits us all as a fraternity, but also the younger generation of designers, who need security, confidence and direction.”
During the live engaging sessions, while Malhotra was seen endorsing “slow and responsible fashion to be the new future bling”, Mishra advocated, “transparency, accountability, creativity and Indian craftsmanship to be the only silver lining that could save livelihoods of Indian artisans”. Tahiliani focused on how “drapes and digitisation would enter into a new focus area for it to define affordability as the new chic”, and Mukherjee underscored “the value of localised commerce that exists in our neighbourhoods has never been clearer and Made in India is going to be the way forward for our country.”
The campaign has raised a few lakhs through this initiative and hopes to collect more funds in the upcoming series of The Fraternity Talks.
The intent of this campaign was to create a dossier of sorts that not only benefits us all, but also the young designers, who need security and direction.
NIKHIL MEHRA
FASHION DESIGNER