Indian fashion to put best-(looking) foot forward

Delhi will showcase Indian fashion at Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) from October 13-18, following the conclusion of the Big Four fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Organized in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the event aims to spotlight emerging talent and innovation alongside established names.

This season, over 50 designers and labels will participate, including 16 making their runway debuts for the first time, 200 registered buyers from domestic and international markets, and representation from 12 countries. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the six-day event. FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi emphasizes the focus on emerging designers, international collaborations, and regional craftsmanship, rather than just celebrity appearances.

The main runway will kick off with Aneeth Arora’s Péro, who recently collaborated with Hello Kitty and is rumored to be working with Barbie this season. Other familiar designers, like Manish Malhotra and Suneet Varma, will step outside their comfort zones. Six designers will make their runway debuts in the GenNext show, while TheFifth Season highlights Ladakh's pashmina and indigenous traditions.

Sustainability is also a key theme, with the Circular Design Challenge and material innovations on the runway. The event will feature more than 50 retail stalls, with costs for staging the show running into the crores, with FDCI and sponsors subsidizing participation fees from `4-8 lakh per designer.