India Couture Week 2017: Why is it important for Indian Pageantry?
The India Couture Week (ICW) is back with its 2017 edition. The week from July 24th to July 30th 2017 will be filled with sky high level of couture fashion. The designer line up for this year’s ICW is star-studded! From extraordinary Indian couture to ultra-modern western couture, fashion enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to. Pageant fans also should dive into this exciting couture season as many of the designs presented at ICW may later form part of the wardrobe of Miss World India and Miss Universe India. In fact the “World Designer Award” dresses of Aditi Arya and Priyadarshini Chatterjee were also from ICW collections of respective years. So what does ICW 2017 has in store for us? Here are six shows from ICW 2017 that pageant fans should look forward to:
- Anamika Khanna:
The opening show for ICW 2017 scheduled on July 24, 2017, is by Ms. Anamika Khanna. How I wish India would wear Anamika Khanna outfit at the national costume round of Miss Universe! Every Anamika Khanna outfit that Sonam Kapoor has worn at Cannes is worthy of being India’s national costume for Miss Universe. Her dreamy designs are superb blend of traditional Indian embroidery and modern day fashion trends.
Date – July 24, 2017 ; Time – 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Rohit Bal:
Rohit Bal is a name that needs no introduction. His fabulous collections from ICW 2016 and LFW 2016 have raised the bar of expectations much higher for his 2017 collections. Born in Kashmir, Rohit has always cherished his roots by incorporating Kashmiri embroidery in his designs. This year Sana Dua from Kashmir has earned a runner-up spot in Miss India. Won’t it be great if Rohit Bal collaborates with Sana if she is sent to any international pageant? And if they do work together, it won’t be Rohit’s first time working with Miss India. The legendary fashion designer has previously served as a Judge for Femina Miss India pageant. Navneet Kaur Dhillon was supposed to wear a Rohit Bal lehenga for the World Designer Award round. Unfortunately the competition for World Designer Award was never held during the Miss World 2013 and the masterpiece created by Rohit went unnoticed.
Date – July 2014, 2017 ; Time – 9:30 PM
- Tarun Tahiliani:
The man who was termed as the best designer from India by Lady Gaga has been the king of Indian Couture for the longest amount of time. Tarun Tahiliani never fails to amaze his fans by creating outstanding collections year after year. During the Marc Robinson era of Miss India, Miss India girls even got the opportunity to walk for Mr. Tahiliani. It doesn’t matter whether or not Miss Indias would wear Tarun Tahiliani for international pageants. Anyone who has even a slightest interest in fashion should never miss a Tarun Tahiliani Show.
Date – July 26, 2017 : Time – 9:30 PM
- Monisha Jaising:
Monisha Jaising became a name synonymous to modern Indian couture after her ICW 2014 collection. Since then her work just kept on getting more and more chic. Noyonita Lodh wore a Monish Jaising outfit from ICW 2014 collection for the charity auction during Miss Universe 2014. Aditi Arya wore a gown from Ms. Jaising’s ICW 2015 collection for the designer award round at Miss World 2015. Ms. Jaising’s rockstar gown presented by Lisa Haydon during the LFW Summer-Resort 2016 was a heavy favourite among pageant fans. This year, Monisha Jaising has already made a mark with her fabulous opening collection for Lakmé Fashion Week. Pageant fans should definitely bookmark their calendar for this show as it might give us a stand out piece for this year’s Miss World or Miss Universe pageant.
Date – July 28, 2017 : Time – 8:00 PM
- Gaurav Gupta:
If there’s someone in India who truly understands the meaning of “Avant Garde”, it is Gaurav Gupta. His sculpted designs are extremely unique and world class. Gaurav Gupta has also become a familiar name for the pageant fans. He provided the gowns for evening gown segments of Femina Miss India 2014 and Miss Diva 2016. Priyadarshini Chatterjee wore a Gaurav Gupta couture dress from ICW 2016 collection for the world designer award at Miss World 2016. Some Miss America and Miss USA contestants have also opted for Gaurav Gupta couture for their national pageants. Mariana Jimenez (Miss Venezuela 2014) wore a Gaurav Gupta outfit for her final walk during Miss Venezuela 2015. In March 2017, he also exhibited his collection during the prestigious Paris fashion Week. There are a million reasons why pageant fans cannot miss this show. Maybe we will get a glimpse of Miss India’s dress for this year’s world designer award.
Date – July 29, 2017 : Time – 9:30 PM
- Manish Malhotra:
And as an Indian Fashion Week ritual, we have the finale by Manish Malhotra. At ICW 2017 Mr. Malhotra will once again put up a jaw dropping finale showcasing the best the Indian couture can offer. Manish’s association with Miss India has been very deep. Most recently, all the finalists of Femina Miss India 2017 were dressed up in Manish Malhotra outfits for the finale. Honestly speaking Manish’s indo-western outfits can very well be used for evening gown segment of international pageants. It will be a great way of showcasing Indian fashion on international stage.
Date – July 30, 2017 : Time – 9:30 PM
Apart from the above mentioned designers, many other A-list designers like Manav Gangwani, Anju Modi, Shyamal & Bhumika, Varun Bahl, Anita Dongre and Rina Dhaka will also showcase their latest collections at ICW 2017. You can find the complete schedule of ICW 2017 [Click Here].
Author: Jinendra Aherkar
Wow. It’s really a detailed post about India couture week. Fashion is an international language. Fashion show always leaves us rife with inspiration. I like your picture.