India’s most premier and prestigious launchpad – the Gen Next designer Programme of Lakmé Fashion Week continues its legacy of introducing yet another bunch of talented, young designers in its Winter/Festive 2015 edition.
This long running mentoring platform, known for having introduced some of the industry’s most renowned designers like Rahul Mishra, Nachiket Barve, Masaba Gupta, Kallol Dutta, Aneeth Arora among others, is now all set to groom its 20th batch of seven promising designers who have been chosen by the members of the prestigious LFW advisory board that consists of the who’s who of the Indian fashion industry.
Introducing the seven designers, Saket Dhankar, Vice-President & Head- Fashion, IMG Reliance Limited said, “LFW Gen Next is a unique initiative on a global level in fashion industry today. It seeks to re-invent fashion by discovering high potential talent in fashion & textile design and mentor them for a prestigious launch in the industry. These seven designers have won a precious opportunity and I am truly excited to witness their launch on the Indian runway.”
These artistic minds will be mentored by country’s leading fashion consultant and entrepreneur Sabina Chopra. Sharing her excitement, Sabina said, “It is an honour to lead and mentor the 20th batch of Gen Next designer programme at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015. The Gen Next designer programme at LFW continues to be a great nurturing platform that helps the new talent showcase their fresh and original ideas to the world. I look forward to an exciting and mutually enriching journey!”
The 20th batch of Gen Next Designers:
Ajay Kumar
Bangalore based designer, Ajay Kumar is all set to showcase his ‘consonance & dissonance’ themed collection at Lakmé Fashion Week.
Ajay’s eponymous label is designed for the genre of social celebrities, shining personalities & achievers. It is positioned as a premium menswear label targeting the age group of 25-35 years.
Talking about his collection Ajay says, “The designs are an amalgamation of clean conformist silhouette patterns with unique Indo-Persian motifs. The print story is a paradox of living & non- living, geometric and florals, birds and beasts. The silhouettes are structured yet flowy, Indian yet contemporary with multitudinal layering.”
Charchit Bafna
New Delhi based designer, Charchit Bafna is all set to showcase his collection which is an ode to the tropical winter at Lakmé Fashion Week.
His label strives to strike a balance between two seemingly polarized points, the done and the undone, the disheveled and the manicured, and the perfect and the flawed.
Talking about his collection Charchit says, “This collection will be playful, zesty and flirty with a vivacious palette of styles and colors.”
Kriti Tula
Doodlage’ by Delhi-based Kriti Tula is an eco-fashion label that up-cycles industry waste to create chic products for the young adults between 20-35 years of age.
Her LFW WF 2015 collection ‘evolution of basics’ recreates the white shirt, oversized scarf and many such staples using intricate handwork, re-knitting stripped down waste fabric and many such creative techniques to optimise up-cycling and mass production.
Jebin Johny
‘Jebsispar’ by Cochin-based Jebin Johny is a womenswear label which focuses on prints. The label name – Jebsispar is derived from JEBin-SISter-PARents, which is his family name.
His first project for LFW WF 2015 named ‘KathaKabuki’, will exhibit a design sensibility which is a fusion of dramatic dance forms of ‘Kathakali from India and Kabuki from Japan. It is an attempt to bring art and mythology together in clothing.
Ishita Mangal
‘Quo’ by New Delhi-based Ishita Mangal is a womenswear prêt label that offers chic and stylishly fashionable clothes for a woman who desires to stand out by adding edgy, offbeat and unconventional looks in her wardrobe.
Her LFW collection ‘Misprision of treason’ is inspired from the people engaged in the investigation of a crime scene. Some of the clothes depict the crime scene, while others depict the roles of detectives, police officers and analysts involved in the same. “My upcoming collection is a dramatic story which is depicted through each of the garments designed – from dramatic prints, slogans, silhouettes and accessories,” says Ishita.
Shivangi Sahni
New Delhi based Shivangi Sahni is a design graduate from NIFT, Delhi. Her label and upcoming collection for LFW WF 2015 is rooted in sharp tailoring, clean silhouettes and intricate detailing. Talking about her collection, she says, “My collection represents a deeply free spirited woman, whose artistic expression extends beyond her attitude and directly on to the clothes she wears.”
Siddhartha Bansal
New Delhi based designer Siddhartha Bansal is all set to showcase his collection named ‘Storyteller’ at Lakmé Fashion Week.
His vision is to give customers an experience of a lifetime through his clothes which have feminine cuts fused with fresh color combinations and intricate detailed motifs. Crafts, prints and embroideries are his USP.
Talking about his collection Siddhartha says, “The collection is a depiction of an emotional roller-coaster ride seen while touring India. It showcases its rich cultural diversity, tradition of storytelling and lesser known facts with design flowing out in an endless and creative kaleidoscopic process”
