Fashion is for everyone 

In a first, FDCI’s #MyFashionMyTribe campaign has no age, height or weight bar for models at its upcoming India Fashion Week
Candidates at the Delhi auditions.
Candidates at the Delhi auditions.

Sometimes, even in the bad, there is a hidden good that takes a while to unravel. When it does, nothing negative can impede the positive flourish. Entrepreneur Sharan Mishra reminds herself of this every single day. The darling of Indian fashion designers in the early 2000s, Mishra’s climb up the modelling ladder was truncated in 2005 when a freak burn accident robbed her of her ramp-ready looks. Plum assignments were terminated. The road to recovery was bleak. After years of painstaking grafting surgeries, numerous counselling sessions and sundry jobs, she finally forayed into entrepreneurship, thinking her dream of becoming a model was all but over.

And then, along came Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) with a new concept for the upcoming season of Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week (LMIFW). Called #MyFashionMyTribe, the theme is right up Mishra’s street, and others like her. For here, the aim is to phase out gender and beauty stereotypes and make Indian fashion all-inclusive. The premise being that the world of fashion includes all kinds of people, irrespective of shape, age, height, gender, colour, ethnicity, or even profession. Because none of these matter when you have a passion for fashion.  

 Accordingly, any girl who ever dreamed of walking the ramp was welcomed at the FDCI model auditions—with no height, weight or age restrictions—held in September in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. The response, says FDCI sources, was overwhelming. Nearly 400 contenders came in to try their luck, not just from the metros but also from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Manipur and Punjab. The selected girls will walk the ramp at LMIFW from October 9 to 12 at Delhi.

At the grand finale on October 12, the girls will be seen in creations by Wendell Rodricks, Anamika Khanna, Manish Arora and Rajesh Pratap Singh. The four come from different cities and schools of thought and by putting them together on the ramp with models of varied shapes and sizes, FDCI aims to emphasise that differences don’t matter when you are members of the same tribe. “What matters is your inclusive attitude and your willingness to constantly challenge yourself and push the boundaries of possibilities,” says FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi.

Designer Jenjum Gadi agrees. “This is truly a great initiative. Why should fashion be only about slim and tall? This is exploring the beauty in the short, the fat and everything else. It’s a great start.” The second phase of the #MyFashionMyTribe campaign is being played out on social media, where FDCI is running an all-embracing video series.

The participants include designers, stylists, models, editors and other fashion professionals, talking with and about their own tribes and the concept of fashion inclusivity. “Our theme #MyFashionMyTribe reflects the reality of the fashion world, which is like an extended family. That’s the message that we want to send out,” says Sethi.

The sentiment is seconded by designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, who says, “We have always been inclusive about showcasing our creations on people of all ages, sizes and from different backgrounds. It is heartening to see this happening more so now because fashion is for all. This campaign proves that emphatically.” 

 Sharan Mishra couldn’t agree more. Though fate has dealt her a cruel blow, she believes she still has the poise to carry off a designer outfit. “It is the same body, the same mind, but toughened by struggle. If, even with the scars, I can look like a million bucks in a designer ensemble, everyone can. That is my message, loud and clear,” she says.

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