For 15 years, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has curated and projected cutting edge Indian fashion. But this year, it took everything a notch above. After successful shows in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and New Delhi over the last few weeks, the fashion extravaganza concluded with a larger-than-life grand finale in Mumbai on February 22 that celebrated ‘The Pride of India’ – unique concept which for the very first time, brought 15 of India’s most iconic designers to one stage truly showcasing the spirit and evolution of Indian fashion.
The finale featured the works the country’s best designers – Anju Modi, JJ Vallaya, Raghavendra Rathore, Suneet Varma, Gaurav Gupta, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Abraham & Thakore, Monisha Jaising, Namrata Joshipura, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Ashish Soni, and the late Wendell Rodricks.
‘The Pride of India’ by Blenders Pride Fashion Tour was an ode to eras of Indian fashion, a grand union of the biggest names in the industry that came together to shape the future of fashion. Every designers’ intricately crafted collections were presented in varied silhouettes that embraced the rich grandeur and spirit of India. Introduced by the global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas who is the brand’s ambassador as well, the grand finale also celebrated her decade-long association with Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.
With designer Ashish Soni as curator-in-chief and Fashion Council of India (FDCI) as the partner this year, the Tour aimed at creating a universe of Pride through its three themes – Craft, Identity and Blend. `Pride’ finds its expression through the success and individuality of the designers and their shows, while the emphasis is on indigenous ‘craft’, ‘blend’ of diverse influences, and a distinctive ‘identity’.
This edition also saw the launch of ‘The Showcase’, an incubation platform through which aspiring talent in fashion will be mentored by established masters in the industry. This year’s ‘The Showcase’ presented three young and promising designers – Ikshit Pande, Sushant Abrol and Stanzin Palmo, along with three talented models – Poojan Solanki, Preethy Prabhakaran, and Ritu Chauhan, as the winners.
The other big attraction at this year’s Blenders Pride Fashion Tour was the ‘Collection Gallery’, an exquisite display of over 100 iconic designs capturing the spirit of the Tour’s themes of Craft, Blend, and Identity. The carefully curated collection included the works of over 78 famed Indian designers, from the length and breadth of the country.
The Tour also presented ‘Style Forum’, a distinctive platform for industry stalwarts and fashion icons to come together for inspiring exchange of ideas and thoughts on future runway trends, latest in fashion and what lies ahead for the industry altogether. These discussions were quite a hit with over 2000 young fashion designs students who excitedly witnessed their fashion idols express their thoughts on various subjects.
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2020, was bigger and bolder than any other fashion event, unlike anything the country has seen ever before. With a grand celebration of fashion for its 15th glorious edition, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has truly set a new benchmark in the Indian fashion industry.
Follow Blenders Pride Fashion Tour for exciting snippets of India’s grand fashion festival.
