India, February 2020: Bringing the universe of pride to life, the celebrated Blenders Pride Fashion Tour went beyond conventional runway shows in its milestone 15th edition to unveil a breathtakingly new face of fashion. The fashion extravaganza culminated in a larger-than-life finale, ‘The Pride of India’, in collaboration with FDCI, in Mumbai with 15 eminent designers, namely, Abraham & Thakore, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Anamika Khanna, Anju Modi, Ashish N Soni, Gaurav Gupta, JJ Valaya, Manish Malhotra, Monisha Jaising, Namrata Joshipura, Raghavendra Rathore, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Suneet Varma, and Wendell Rodricks. Adding to the grandeur of the evening was brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who looked spectacular.
Charting a unique course, the iconic 15th year of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour came with a path-breaking format with designer Ashish Soni as curator-in-chief, and an exclusive collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the industry thought leader. By focussing on laser-sharp on fashion, the tour presented festivals of fashion and created a universe of pride through its three themes – Craft, Blend, and Identity. While ‘Pride’ as a meaningful expression of success and individuality continued to take center-stage in this edition, it is actually India with its indigenous ‘craft’, ‘blend’ of diverse influences, and a distinctive ‘identity’ that became the canvas of expression this year.
Stepping into the fashion spotlight as always, the tour also launched a new element – The Showcase – to provide a breakthrough opportunity for aspiring fashion designers and models to be mentored and display their talent at this year’s Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.
The festivals of fashion at Blenders Pride Fashion Tour in Mumbai included segments such as the Collection Gallery, The Showcase, and Style Forum, each of which celebrated a whole new facet of fashion. An artistic display of 82 iconic pieces, The Collection Gallery was spread over three zones – Craft, Blend, Identity – including 78 famed designers such as Alpana Neeraj, Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta, Shantanu & Nikhil, Anavila Misra, Ikai by Ragini Ahuja, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Shahab Durazi, Naushad Ali, Swati Kalsi, Payal Jain, Rahul Mishra, Pankaj & Nidhi, and Dhruv Kapoor. The Showcase presented the work of winning designers Ikshit Pande (Quod), Sushant Abrol (Countrymade) and Stanzin Palmo (Zilzom).
At the Style Forum, industry stalwarts such as Kunal Rawal, Ashish Soni, David Abraham, Namrata Joshipura, Chinki Sinha and Sunil Sethi, with Anaita Shroff Adajania as moderator, came together for an intellectual exchange of ideas in the fashion arena, focusing on the topic ‘What’s the journey been for the Indian fashion industry and what does the future hold?’
Speaking on the occasion, Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, said, “In its 15th year of spearheading fashion in India, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour moved beyond conventional shows to become a celebration of all things fashion with a new vision. With its path-breaking format, the milestone edition of the tour enhanced the appeal for the youth and set the tone for innovation in the years to come. The journey of ‘Pride’ that the brand undertook last year, continued to take center-stage this year as well, to bring alive distinctive expressions of ‘Pride’. We are also thrilled to have collaborated with the industry leader, FDCI, in this landmark year, to take the property to new heights, together with illustrious designers and artists from across the country.”
Expounding the theme ‘The Pride of India’, the finale of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour celebrated the contribution of India’s iconic designers with My Origin, My Pride. The Pride of India was an ode to fashion, a grand union of the biggest names in the industry that came together to shape the future of fashion. Each of the 15 designers presented their intricately crafted collections in varied silhouettes that embraced the rich grandeur and spirit of India.
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2019-20 showcased across Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Delhi in the year 2020.
