The list gets longer and longer. A total of 138 designers are participating in the Fall-Winter 2012 edition of the Wills India Fashion Week that is being held in the capital from February 15 to 19. The event is being held at Pragati Maidan like in the previous years, but there’s one significant difference. This year, FDCI—which organizes the Delhi event—has tied up with the Japan Fashion Week Organization to present a ‘Tokyo Fashion Week in India’ at the WIFW.
Supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economic Trade and Industry, the event is being touted as a cultural exchange between the two countries and an opportunity for the local fash frat and fashionistas to get up close and personal with a pared down Japanese aesthetic.
Visitors will get to see a joint fashion show by three designers from Japan—Anrealage, Mint Designs and Suzuki Takayuki (see pictures below)—as well as attend a talk by Kenya Hara, one of the world’s most prominent graphic designers and curator and art director of Muji. In addition, the products and philosophies of 10 brands representing “10 Faces of Tokyo Culture” will be on display.
The event opens on February 15 with an afternoon show by Shantanu & Nikhil. Rohit Bal’s show is on the same evening, but is being held offsite, at Cibo, in Hotel Janpath. The coveted 9.30 pm slot on the 16th belongs to Tarun Tahiliani, who is hosting his show at Blue Frog, The Kila. On the 17th, Abraham and Thakore have their show at 8.15 pm, at Pragati Minar itself. That will be followed by a Blenders Pride-sponsored Manish Malhotra show.
The 19th season of the India Fashion Week will have stalls but no shows by prêt stalwarts like Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Ranna Gill and Namrata Joshipura, but there’s a promise of plenty of young talent showing alongside established designers like Kavita Bhartia, Sonal Dubal, James Ferreira, Anju Modi and the edgy Gaurav Gupta.
Detailing guru J J Valaya will bring the event to a close with a grand finale on the evening of the 19th.