Mumbai, 22nd December, 2014: Lakme Fashion Week continues the legacy of launching new design talent through country’s most prestigious and long running mentoring platform – the Gen Next programme. Known for having introduced some of industry’s most talented designers like Swapnil Shinde, Rahul Mishra, Masaba Gupta, Aneeth Arora, the programme is now it all set to groom its nineteenth batch of six promising designers who have been chosen by the members of the LFW advisory board.
These creative minds will be nurtured and supported by country’s leading fashion designer Anita Dongre. Introducing the six designers, Anita said, “I take great pride in leading the 19th batch of Gen Next programme as a mentor once again at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015. The current batch is a healthy mix of some extremely talented budding designers who are full of surprises. I strongly believe that LFW provides an ideal platform for young & new talent. And I am confident that the new batch will carve a niche for themselves and contribute in their own way to the Indian fashion industry with their fresh and original ideas. I look forward to another exciting and mutually enriching journey this season!”
The 19th batch of Gen Next Designers:
Alan Alexander Kaleekal
Alan Alexander Kaleekal hails from the small city of Thiruvananthapuram. He is a graduate from Studio Bercot, Paris and holds a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design. His collection, at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015 will illustrate a child’s reinterpretation of an adult wardrobe. Alan describes his label – Kaleekal as a subversive and alternate way of looking at clothes. He adds, “My designs don’t target a specific demography, they re-interpret the norms of fashion.”
Ankit Carpenter
A graduate in Fashion Designing, this Delhi based designer Ankit Carpenter is all set to showcase his cactus inspired collection at Lakme Fashion Week. Ankit’s label Greusha focuses on femininity in modern and classic ways. Having clean cuts and silhouettes, the designs have a timeless aura. Talking about his collection Ankit says, “Greusha by Ankit’s heartbeat lies in sophistication, elegance, luxury & comfort. It aspires to create classic pieces which are not just timeless but are fierce too. The Gruesha woman is about ‘understated elegance’ with a wild heart and the beauty is defined by éperon beauté.”
Kanika Goyal
Kanika Goyal from New Delhi is graduate from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, followed by a course in Fashion Styling at University of Arts, London. Her collection, ‘Creatures of the Night,’for LFW SR 2015 celebrates the wild instincts that arise with deafening silence of the night. Kanika Goyal’s label finds its identity through venturing into provocative minimalism. Talking about her designs, she adds, “My designs bring out contrasting ideals into garments that narrate similar stories.”
Manish Bansal
Another talented Delhi based designer, Manish Bansal, holds a master’s degree in Fashion Design Technology – Menswear. His LFW SR 2015 collection, ’suits’ depicts the nuances that are attached to the word ‘gamble.’
His label, Manish Bansal, intends to create innovative fashion statements that expresses past and contemporary fashion paradigm. Explaining the concept of his collection, Manish says, “The collection suggests a pun on the term ‘Suits’ – deriving reference from a suit of cards or as a suit worn by the influential and important person.”
PRIYANKA ELLA LORENA LAMA
Bangalore based designer Priyanka holds a bachelor’s degree in Fashion and Apparel Design from NIFT, Bangalore. Her collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015 takes inspiration from ‘Utopia,’ an ideal state of enlightenment. Her designs symbolize a cohesive force carried by unsophisticated values. Her label, P.E.L.L.A, aims to create a world of imagination, inspiration & innovation. Describing the brand’s philosophy, she adds, “The idea is to create aesthetics through deliberate imperfections with a minimalistic design language.”
Salita Nanda
Salita Nanada, a Pune based designer, holds a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Business, from London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, along with Diploma in Fashion Design from Milan Fashion Campus. Her collection for Lakmé Fashion Week themed ‘Demoiselles,’meaning ‘young ladies,’ is based on Picasso’s cubist painting, Les demoiselles d’vignon. Her label, Salita Nanda, consists of ready-to-wear hybrid collection, combining digital printing and a series of 3Dprinted fabrics. Salita says, “The collection is an amalgamation of a beautiful piece of art and a touch of pop. The African undertones in the painting translate into prints and symbols like love, beauty and strength.”
