At the recently concluded, fourth edition of the Bangalore Times Fashion Week 2019 – Monsoon Edit, held at the upscale Sheraton Grande, Brigade Road on 1^st and 2^nd June 2019,
JD Institute of Fashion Technology was proud to be associated as their Designer and Education Partner. Through such initiatives, the institute provides a platform for its students to participate in prestigious events that put them in the limelight and rub shoulders with industry veterans and media alike. Jediians also get a chance to volunteer in the backstage activities and gain knowledge about the organizational set up of a show in real time. The shows were choreographed by former supermodel and choreographer Noyonika Chatterjee; and produced by Prasad Bidapa Associates.

The two day affair witnessed collection from veteran designers and brands like Kavita Agarwal, Label Ritu Kumar, Shweta Nandakumar, Hopscotch, The House of Rare, Paresh Lamba, Aviva Bidapa, Manju Taparia, Madame Fashions, Fulki Studio, Koskii, Thomas Abraham, Ashok Manay and the doyenne of the Indian fashion industry Neeta Lulla. The showstoppers for the collections were some of the renowned names in the South Indian Film Industry like Sanjana Galrani, Tanya Hope, Sahara Afsha, Ekta Rathod, Prajwal Devaraj and Raghini Chandran, Miss India 2018, Anukreethy Vas, Miss Supranational winner Asha Bhat and Pranitha Subhash.

Apart from the renowned names, 6 groups of students who participated in the JD Annual Design Awards 2019 too presented their collection. The collections showcased by the students were – Pintado Womano, Cynefin, Bureikou, Rigour-Us, Kelahiran and Rybie Luski.

 This edition of the Bangalore Times Fashion Week was special as Times of India introduced its campaign, “Out and Proud” in support of the LGBTQIA community. The campaign seeks to make their life easier by offering a free space in the classifieds section for 3 months. The space enables the community to help find a house, partner or a job and share their stories with the public. The aim of the campaign is to integrate the LGBTQIA community and raise awareness of their issues. The fashion week did not just preach about the campaign, it was inclusive.

 A befitting ode to the #OutandProud campaign was the collection by Jediian designers
Apurva Ravi and Sindhu Kamal called Pintado Womano. The designers had collaborated with the Aravani Art Project, an NGO that works for the upliftment of the transgender community through the medium of art. The collection was a range of colorful office wear garments with bold prints hand painted by the transgender members of the Aravani Art Project. The showstopper for Pintado Womano was performer and artist, “Lady Bai”.

Cynefin presented by designer Disha Sethia was a range of Indo-Western collection made up of 100% organic fabric, composed of pure mulberry silk, linen yarn, pure silver zari with organic raw banana fibre. The designer has maintained the authenticity of the Indian handloom weaving with a western twist. The collection was inspired from a hypothetical process of modifying the biosphere of a planet called Terraforming.

Bureikou created by designer Prachi Jain was inspired by the Japanese Oribe ware pottery which is known for its asymmetrical and eccentric shapes. The designer through her collection has incorporated the asymmetry of the pottery, motifs and colours found on oribe ware. She also incorporated elements of nature from Japanese ink paintings on the garments. The collection was created by upcycling left over pieces of fabrics of twinkle organza and satin sourced from the home décor units.

Rigour-Us presented by Punit Kumar V and Vijayalaxmi, was an Artisanal Tribute to the rigorous handwork involved in the making of handicrafts. The collection was created from discarded t-shirts cut into long strips and twisted to create macramé knotted top wear. The bottom half of the garments were shaped using the draping technique.

Kelahiran presented by designer Samrutha Devi was inspired by the ultrasonic pattern created by the foetal heart beat and Aloe Vera (Agave). The patterns on the fabric were implemented by using checked dobby weave with Ikat prints and weft ikat weave to represent the ultrasonic foetal heartbeat pattern.  The Aloe Vera plant (Agave) is associated with birth and immortality. The fibre is 100% biodegradable and recyclable.

Rybie Luski was presented by Jagadish K, an ethereal evening wear collection of white garments that were adorned with fish scales. Ideally the marine life representation in designs is limited to sea shells or pearls. However, the designer treated the scales and hand sewed them onto the garments. The collection showcased the possibility of incorporating fish scales as embellishments in future collections.

JD Institute of Technology has instilled in its students to make educated choices while designing and be aware of its effects on the environment.  The collections presented by the students upheld the 3 vital ethos of sustainability, innovation and ethics that the institute consciously advocates and encourages its students to follow, not only in their designs but in the practices in the institute as well. The collections were received with a round of applause and awe from the fashion fraternity and media alike.

It was an overwhelming experience to witness the collection of our alumni, Designer Ashok Maanay’s. His collection Hivan depicted the craftsmanship of Kashmir. The range showcased bright ethnic wear with handmade embroidery from the valley of flowers.
South Indian actors Ashika Ranganath and Rahul Rajasekaran graced the ramp for the designer as his showstoppers. Instances such as these make us proud as educators to introduce talented designers with each passing year and watch them reach greater heights in their careers.

We shall wait with bated breath for another extravaganza, until next year!

SPLASH BY JEDIIANS AT BANGALORE TIMES FASHION WEEK 2019 – MONSOON EDIT