Cotton Council International (CCI), in association with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), congratulates Vedangi Agarwal, Dimpali Khattar, Deepen Mohan Sharma and Ruchi Ramachandran on their advancement to the final round of the televised “Let’s Design” fashion design competition. Selected from over 2,000 entries, these aspiring designers will join three young hopefuls selected in Kolkata earlier this week.
“The caliber of entries this year is extremely high with some great non-traditional applications of cotton,” expressed Ms. Agnieszka Fijol, CCI’s program head of India. “Their designs show the true versatility of cotton fabric.”
Renowned designers Troy Costa and Priyadarshini Rao judged the entries and selected the regional winners.
“Cotton is India's heritage, and there has never been a fabric better suited to our lifestyles or mindsets,” exclaimed Priyadarshini Rao. “Creating awareness of this rich resource is a great way to take it forward for the generations to come. I am excited to see how innovatively the designers have handled cotton and have given it a new lease of life."
“Cotton mirrors people’s lives,” added Troy Costa. “It adapts to meet their needs, reflecting their strength and energy without losing their sensuality and individuality. Extravagance and comfort become one when creative tailoring meets cotton’s renowned qualities of breathability, strength and versatility.”
The top ten candidates from around India will be invited to Delhi, where they will face a series of design challenges that test their creative and technical skills. A panel of fashion industry experts will judge each challenge, with one or more designers eliminated in each round. The winners will receive1 million rupees and the chance to present at Spring/Summer 14 Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.
Mr. Sunil Sethi, President of FDCI, noted that “having a regional round in every metro ensures that we get a good pool of entries from across the country, which in turn will help us in finding truly the best that India has to offer in terms of design talent.”
This pan-India initiative gives aspiring designers an opportunity to showcase their talent and creativity with the country’s most important textile fiber and the backbone of Indian fashion – cotton.“Let’s Design” has also been instrumental in creating pan-India consumer awareness about cotton, with season four generating visibility of over 400 million people in India.
“It’s exciting to see such innovation in cotton, and I think we can expect some great creativity in the final rounds of ‘Let’s Design,’” added Mr. Sachit Bhatia, CCI representative in India and judge.
About Cotton Council International (CCI)
Cotton Council International (CCI) is a non-profit trade organization devoted to the promotion of cotton in India. Its promotion program in India strives to educate end consumers about the benefits of using cotton, dispel myths, and inform about new innovations and fashions. Over the years CCI has successfully collaborated with leading fashion designers, trade bodies, Bollywood celebrities, media and design institutes for effective delivery of it’s messaging. Through “Let’s Design,” CCI is proud to nurture nascent talent and develop the use of cotton by the fashion industry in new and creative ways.
About Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI)
Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), a non-profit body, is the apex body of fashion design in India, represented by over 350 members. Founded on the premise of promoting, nurturing and representing the best of fashion design talent in the country; its prime objective is to propagate the business of fashion.
FDCI, as part of its initiatives, produces a calendar of fashion events that includes: Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, the bi-annual prêt weeks for women’s wear; Van Heusen India Men’s Week, a dedicated week for men’s fashion; and Synergy 1 Delhi Couture Week, the annual platform for couture. Over the years, FDCI has embarked on various path-breaking initiatives to cultivate and nurture designers and their businesses, and make Indian fashion global.
About Supima
Supima, short for “Superior Pima,” is the marketing organization of the American Pima cotton growers. Supima cotton imparts lasting softness, color, and natural durability to apparel and home fashion products.
