WOOLMARK WINNERS

Manish Malhotra has chosen the next generation of Indian designers.

The superstar Indian designer was on the panel of judges that selected the winners of the Woolmark prize for India and the Middle East – Indian labels Antar-Agni (menswear) and Bodice (womenswear).

The regional final, which took place in Dubai on July 24, saw the two Indian labels selected by Malhotra and editors of both UAE and Indian publications. Each of the designers had to create one look that they feel represents their work.

Uijawal Dubey of Antar-Agni created a grey, one-toned, layered look, taking inspiration from his own culture, with comfort being key to his design. Bodice’s Ruchika Sachdeva took inspiration from the 18th century costumes of Indian Nautch girls, which she contrasted with modern tailoring, using panels of colour to off-set the sport luxe design.

‘The International Woolmark Prize is always a great experience,’ said Malhotra; ‘the judging gets tougher every year as the quality of work from designers nominated keeps getting better. Bodice scored high on adaptability, commercial viability and creativity of the look... and Antar-Agni created something true to his belief. We are keen to see how these designs will be received in the global market,’ added Malhotra.

Each of the winners will be awarded around Dh200,000 to put towards developing their fashion label, and they will also compete in the International Woolmark prize final in Australia, which has a prize of around Dh580,000. Both winners will also receive mentoring support from a global team of fashion experts.