Fashion of the future

A recently organized fashion show, 'Fashion Blazon 2017, held at the Footwear design and development institute (FDDI), evidently proved that future of Indian fashion and styling industry is in safe hands. Amalgamating creativity with contemporary ideas, numerous students of the institute presented self-designed attires, jewellery and footwear. Each and every presentation spoke of the efforts and the innovation put in by the students, who explored the new limits of the fashion world.

Organised within the college premises on November 17, the show was attended by renowned designers, fashion industry experts, and officials. Amidst claps and applause, the show opened with the first sequence 'Marigold, which was entirely inspired by the Maharashtrian culture. The collection beautifully depicted 'modernity in tradition'. Next in line was a collection around the theme of 'Yoga' followed by 'Valentine special collection'. The glamorous garments, perfect for a romantic evening, totally stole the show. Other presentations based on themes like, 'Tie and dye'– presenting ancient art majorly used in Rajasthan and Gujarat; 'Game of Thrones' – showcasing the inspiring characters from the famous TV show thereby capturing the Westeros feel; 'Van Gogh', 'Silver', and 'Madhubani' themes, were equally innovative.

Giving a beautiful closure to the fashion show, a collection inspired by the queen of Chittor, Rani Padmavati, was also showcased. The story of valour and sacrifice was depicted via this sequence featuring royal attires of Rajput and Khalji dynasties.

Mr Ravinder, Joint Secretary of DIPP graced the occasion as the chief guest. Harpreet Narula, head designer for the upcoming periodic drama Padmavati, was also present at the show. Impressed by the entire showcase, he went on to praise the hard work and efforts put in by the students.

FDDI is an apex organisation which has been playing a pivotal role in facilitating the Indian industry by bridging the skill gap in the areas of footwear, leather, retail and management areas. FDDI has been functioning as an interface between the untapped talent and industry and its global counterparts by fulfilling the demand of skilled manpower with its state of art machines and world-class infrastructure.

Overwhelmed with amazement, Arun Kumar Sinha, Managing Director, FDDI, congratulated the students for presenting such stupendous collections. "It was a great show considering the efforts of the students. I can see that many of them are quite professional. I loved the way they presented their ideas. When I came here, I had a notion that everything within this campus revolves around footwear designing. But looking at the versatility and the talent, I feel happy."

Speaking further about his plans to take FDDI to new heights, Sinha said, "There are two things which we are aiming at. Firstly, we are trying to bring more designers to the institute so that our students can learn from the professionals. Secondly, we want to provide better exposure by stepping out of the institute. This would help them get firsthand experience in designing, styling, and management.

In the words of Aakriti Choudhry – a student who designed two of the garments for the show (one of which was inspired by the petals of the rose) – FDDI is the best platform for anyone who is enthusiastic about fashion or anything related to this industry. "This college is the perfect place to learn new things. It gave us innumerable opportunities to go places and learn, not just through words and teachings within the four walls of the classroom but through experiences. They also provide us with opportunities to go and attend events like the Amazon fashion week and other fashion events of the sort. Not every person wants to get into core designing like I want to be. The college faculty and the staff help us figure out what are we meant to do. I am really happy to be a part of this college and the event as well. Every designer has put in a lot of effort to make it a success."