The highly anticipated ‘We Women Want Festival & Awards 2024’ kicked off today at the Taj Ambassador Hotel in New Delhi. The Editor-in-Chief of NewsX, Rishabh Gulati set the tone for the event by outlining the history of the “We Women Want” initiative, which has successfully hosted two conclaves in Delhi and one in Mumbai.
The day-long festival saw enthralling conversations by eminent speakers from all walks of life as they share their stories of womanhood. The We Women Want Festival honoured exemplary women with The Shakti Award 2024.
While shedding light on how has fashion evolved in India, Delhi being the fashion capital, is minimalism back in vogue and what are the faux paus our panelists namely, Rina Dhaka, Fashion Designer, Anjul Bhandari, Founder & Creative Director Label Anjul Bhandari, Isha Jajodia, Fashion Designer & Founder of Roseroom by Isha Jajodia and Nomita Kohli, Principal Designer & Creative Director, Wisma Atria International had to face. Here are the excerpts from the event:
When asked how fashion has evolved in India, Rina Dhaka, Fashion Designer at the We Women Want Festival & Awards 2024 recalled, “Fashion when it began in India, Delhi was the fashion capital. It was in the early 90’s. There was nothing in India calling you to be a fashion designer. Initial thought you had was how to establish a brand.” She recalled how brands were earlier called with poetic or romantic names adding that fashion in India has come a long way.
Anjul Bhandari, Founder & Creative Director Label Anjul Bhandari, while kick-starting the panel discussion claimed that people today can afford to buy a designer outfit.
Anjul Bhandari, Founder & Creative Director Label Anjul Bhandari at the event asserted how repeating is back in vogue. “Today, the keyword is repeat. That is a very important thing. I do a 100 percent heirloom work where it is only one kind of craft. I am not doing fashion, I am not doing fast fashion. I am doing absolute luxury, something which is going to keep repeating itself. You can probably pick a plain white shirt and team it up with plain trousers or the same pants which I have given it to you can be worn at a wedding.”
She added, “Girls have become very conscious of the fact that when they come to us and ask us they have already done their homework. They want something which is craft-based and they want to save the planet, which is great. If they are not coming to us, then obviously, they are not in that bracket. The piece I would make would go down generations. And, since I do one of a kind, there are no repeats (in the collection). We just have, we don’t have the other one.” To conclude, she said, “You are buying the craft.”
When asked if minimalism was back in trend, Nomita Kohli, Principal Designer & Creative Director, Wisma Atria International at the coveted NewsX event said, “In interior design and architecture, I don’t think anything is in or out. It is your personality that needs to reflect. I can create 50 homes that are Nomita Kohli’s but am I creating a home that reflect the person’s personality- that’s the whole point. If the work is done with the right proportion and right balance- there is no maximalism and minimalism in design today.”
Rina Dhaka at the event explained how fashion has moved beyond size bias and how size zero is now a passe. “It is important being inclusive.” Recalling an incident, Rina shared, “I was once doing fashion week in London and at the gates of Victoria and Albert Museum- it is minus zero and outside the gates all these plus size women wearing fishnets braving that cold and police is there because they are protesting why they are not included at the fashion event. There was a huge uproar about it. Overtime, it went on to become a reality.” She added, “I have gone on to do plus-size shows. And, for just the casting of the show, 300 participants showed up. So, of course, there is no size-bias.”
When asked how often do designers deal with faux pas during fashion week, Anjul Bhandari shared what goes on behind the scenes. At the event, Anjul shared, “People come up with such bizarre requests. There are times when these girls come from abroad and want to wear a lehenga which is very traditional and between all of that the mother, who is a very traditional woman, suddenly gets up and say, ‘Beta, mai toh gown pehnungi. And, aap uske uppar dupatta laga do toh bahut acha hoga.’ So, you do get bizarre requests all the time.”
On the same lines, Rina Dhaka revealed how every second matters on the ramp adding, “Wardrobe malfunction is a horror.” She is also pointed out how the law is different in Delhi and Mumbai. “A model walking the runway can expose the hip but not the front and then the designers have to deal with it all the chaos.”
We Women Want is a weekly show on NewsX that explores issues that concern most women cutting across demographics. The show has dealt with issues ranging from body shaming, domestic violence, laws that help women (and also those that don’t), women’s health from reproduction to menopause, breast cancer, cervical cancer and IVF, acid attack survivors, domestic violence and women in the workplace. This is fast becoming a support group for women across the country.
Check the full event here:
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