Morning
The Calico Museum of Textiles at Ahmedabad is the premier textile museum of the country, and one of the most celebrated institutions of its kind in the world for its distinguished and comprehensive collection of textiles and artifacts the group enjoyed a fascinating tour and looked at some truly beautiful and historical examples of embroidery and weaving from all parts of India. http://www.calicomuseum.com/
Afternoon
The final meeting was with Shaymal & Bhumika http://www.shaymalbhumika.com/. They design, produce and retail fashion collections. They have a team of 400 artisans who work around the year for them producing hand embroidery, printing and weaving. They also function as creative advisors to other companies and lend their design and brand to interesting projects other than fashion like bed and bath. They participate in the Lakme Fashion Week twice a year apart from showing at the best couture shows. They have the largest designer store in the state of Gujarat.
Much excitement ensued as the finalists had the chance to try on some of the beautiful saris in the store – Simeon obviously found an alternative! The meeting proved very fruitful as Shaymal invited collaborations with all of the finalists. As a champion of new designers and entrepreneurs he was very interested in each of the group and their particular viewpoints and all were invited back at anytime to take this amazing offer further. Shaymal introduced Simeon to a colleague who produces denim wear which could be just the contact he needs for his Bantam jeans collection. Simeon had always planned to stay on after the tour but so far hadn’t any firm plans, fortune struck again as Shaymal offered him a placement in the store so that he can learn more and benefit from his many contacts.
At this point we said goodbye to Simeon, the rest headed for Delhi and then home after an intense, fascinating and amazing tour of the Indian fashion industry.
Day 10 - Wednesday 10 December
Ahmedabad
After another very early start the group flew to Ahmedabad first thing for a visit Varsha Sharma’s studio. Varsha is a textile designer who produces home wares such as cushions, blinds and throws. Her products are created by hand by herself and her highly skilled team of 15 and have been used by interior designers for public and private commissions as well as supplying retailers such as The Conran Shop, Habitat and Anthropology.
Afternoon
After a delicious lunch the group headed for the National Institute of Design http://www.nid.edu/. NID is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of designeducation and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. NID is recognised by the Dept. of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation. Having met so many alumni of NID the finalists were keen to see the institution itself and following a tour they met with faculty members. They also found out more about an incubator project for entrepreneurs run by NID as well as some of the courses they run – Sissy and Kerry were both keen to know more about these having become enthused about some of the craft techniques they have encountered and they are considering a return to NID to study further.
Evening
At an amazing dinner at Vishalla - Gugarati food served in a village atmosphere, they met Anuj Sharma (YFE ’07 finalist). Anuj did post graduation in Apparel Design at the National Institute of Design, India. He was then was awarded prestigious Charles Wallice India trust scholarship in 2002 to study for a Masters in High performance Sportswear Design from the University of Derby, UK. Mainly working with areas of craft development and performance wear, Anuj’s other areas have included teaching fashion and understanding human behavior with the help of fashion. He has previously shown collections in Japan and also at the Lakme fashion week in Mumbai. Anuj showed the group some of his collections including his first where he created dresses from mens shirts using minimal stitching and construction.
Day 9 - Tuesday 9 December
Morning
The group had an enlightening meeting with Vikram Raizada who is VP and Head of Fashion at IMG India, a global leader in Fashion management. He is responsible for driving the fashion business in India, mapping resources worldwide to the specific opportunities that the Indian market offers. IMG India is involved with Indian fashion through the Lakme Fashion Week and partners with leading designers and marketers interested in reaching fashion-centric consumers through their fashion properties. IMG’s role in the fashion industry includes world’s largest producer of fashion events, top international modeling agency, industry-leading event publications for fashion insiders and fashion-related media programming.With his expertise in the market Vikram explained that despite being relatively young, the fashion industry in India is growing very quickly- although it is still fragmented and largely based just in the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. India has a youthful population with over 70% being under 35 and a huge emerging middle class willing and able to consume goods. He believes that the growing fashion industry is already having a positive effect in spreading prosperity by providing work and encouraging skills and crafts. Although he cautioned that it will take a long time for the wealth to fully trickle down as India is such a large country with a long way to go.
Previously Indian fashion designers looked west for ideas but increasingly there has been a drive to look towards India, utilising the wealth of skills and inspiration on offer. Bollywood is still a major influence on fashion but through designers like Manish Malhotra there has been a change to a more stylish and contemporary look.
His abiding advice was that you are never truly international until you are truly local! This was evidenced by the failure in India of western brands who arrive with their global marketing strategy and fail to tailor their launch to the idiosyncratic Indian market - local works here and one must connect to succeed.The fashion industry in India is very different, there is no real high street as in the UK at present - it may emerge or it may leapfrog straight into malls. The online shopping market is growing but with no standard sizes it faces some challenges. Internet usage is growing but of more significance is the mobile phone market which grows by a further 10 million phones per month, making India the country with the second largest mobile phone usage in the world.After giving the finalists so much time and expertise Vikram kindly invited each of them to contact him at any point with specific questions and he would endeavour to assist in anyway he could.
Mid Morning
The next visit was to Tania Kapadia of Id8. 29 year old Tanya runs Id8, a successful PR agency that she started in 2002, and now boasts of clients like Jimmy Choo, Tommy Hilfiger, Manish Malhotra, Mocha, Saltwater Grill, Sula Vineyards, among others. She started Id8 in 2002 and has now grown to a team of 15 people. Id8 started as a PR agency but today, it's a holistic brand consultancy.
Having a young fashion industry and no history of fashion PR Tania was a pioneer in her field. The finalists learned from her the differences in promoting a brand to an Indian audience and the important triangle of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - each different cities with a differing personality but each with an increasing interest in fashion. She believes that India is an entrepreneur’s paradise. Foreign brands are doing well but much more in the accessories market, for instance for an occasion such as a wedding a lady will carry a designer hand bag with an sari.
Morning
The group had an enlightening meeting with Vikram Raizada who is VP and Head of Fashion at IMG India, a global leader in Fashion management. He is responsible for driving the fashion business in India, mapping resources worldwide to the specific opportunities that the Indian market offers. IMG India is involved with Indian fashion through the Lakme Fashion Week and partners with leading designers and marketers interested in reaching fashion-centric consumers through their fashion properties. IMG’s role in the fashion industry includes world’s largest producer of fashion events, top international modeling agency, industry-leading event publications for fashion insiders and fashion-related media programming.With his expertise in the market Vikram explained that despite being relatively young, the fashion industry in India is growing very quickly- although it is still fragmented and largely based just in the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. India has a youthful population with over 70% being under 35 and a huge emerging middle class willing and able to consume goods. He believes that the growing fashion industry is already having a positive effect in spreading prosperity by providing work and encouraging skills and crafts. Although he cautioned that it will take a long time for the wealth to fully trickle down as India is such a large country with a long way to go.
Previously Indian fashion designers looked west for ideas but increasingly there has been a drive to look towards India, utilising the wealth of skills and inspiration on offer. Bollywood is still a major influence on fashion but through designers like Manish Malhotra there has been a change to a more stylish and contemporary look.
His abiding advice was that you are never truly international until you are truly local! This was evidenced by the failure in India of western brands who arrive with their global marketing strategy and fail to tailor their launch to the idiosyncratic Indian market - local works here and one must connect to succeed.The fashion industry in India is very different, there is no real high street as in the UK at present - it may emerge or it may leapfrog straight into malls. The online shopping market is growing but with no standard sizes it faces some challenges. Internet usage is growing but of more significance is the mobile phone market which grows by a further 10 million phones per month, making India the country with the second largest mobile phone usage in the world.After giving the finalists so much time and expertise Vikram kindly invited each of them to contact him at any point with specific questions and he would endeavour to assist in anyway he could.
Mid Morning
The next visit was to Tania Kapadia of Id8. 29 year old Tanya runs Id8, a successful PR agency that she started in 2002, and now boasts of clients like Jimmy Choo, Tommy Hilfiger, Manish Malhotra, Mocha, Saltwater Grill, Sula Vineyards, among others. She started Id8 in 2002 and has now grown to a team of 15 people. Id8 started as a PR agency but today, it's a holistic brand consultancy.
Having a young fashion industry and no history of fashion PR Tania was a pioneer in her field. The finalists learned from her the differences in promoting a brand to an Indian audience and the important triangle of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - each different cities with a differing personality but each with an increasing interest in fashion. She believes that India is an entrepreneur’s paradise. Foreign brands are doing well but much more in the accessories market, for instance for an occasion such as a wedding a lady will carry a designer hand bag with an sari.
AfternoonOff to Verve magazine to meet the team including publisher/editor Anuradha Mahindra and editorial director Parmesh Shahani. Verve is India’s premier women’s international fashion and lifestyle magazine. Following the theme of earlier meetings the finalists heard how Verve started in 1995 at a time when there were no luxury Indian magazines. Initially bi annual by 2006 they became a monthly publication and their circulation figures continue to grow. The group heard how the magazine champions Indian designers and influential women as the fashion and design industry continues to mature and grow.
Day 8 - Monday 8 December
Our meeting with Vogue India unfortunately did not take place. Instead we visited Tantra T shirts. who are the leading producers of printed T shirts in India. They produce large numbers of relatively low cost T shirts aimed mainly at the student population. The firm started in 1997 and they now retail in 14 of their own stores as well as having a presence in over 1000 other outlets. All of the T shirts are designed and produced in India and the designs and slogans range from humorous to thought provoking. For brand recognition as well as the principal of adhering closely to their themes they have three ranges exploring different areas – ‘Tantra’ has Indian themes, ‘Barking Dog’ is more general ideas and ‘Line Marrow’ has clever one liners. This meeting had direct relevance for Simeon, although his products are more high end and limited edition he found it interesting to find out more about the T shirt industry in India.
The finalists were then taken to 'Ensemble' a boutique owned and run by Tina Tahiliani. Tina's brother is the famous Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani and although the boutique holds some of his collection it also stocks a wide range of other designers - including emerging talent so she was keen to look at the work of Kate and Kerry – she even offered to stock Simeon's soon to be legendary 'I Love India' T shirts! Tina started the shop 15 years ago at a time when there were no real boutiques or even a culture of shopping in India in that way – individuals either had clothes tailored or else, if they could afford to, they shopped abroad. With a background in high finance in the US Tina took advantage of the liberalisation of India in the 1980's and an increasingly sophisticated local market and now she runs 5 stores. She is a firm supporter of traditional crafts she has worked with NGO's to support endangered skills like weaving.
Our meeting with Vogue India unfortunately did not take place. Instead we visited Tantra T shirts. who are the leading producers of printed T shirts in India. They produce large numbers of relatively low cost T shirts aimed mainly at the student population. The firm started in 1997 and they now retail in 14 of their own stores as well as having a presence in over 1000 other outlets. All of the T shirts are designed and produced in India and the designs and slogans range from humorous to thought provoking. For brand recognition as well as the principal of adhering closely to their themes they have three ranges exploring different areas – ‘Tantra’ has Indian themes, ‘Barking Dog’ is more general ideas and ‘Line Marrow’ has clever one liners. This meeting had direct relevance for Simeon, although his products are more high end and limited edition he found it interesting to find out more about the T shirt industry in India.
The finalists were then taken to 'Ensemble' a boutique owned and run by Tina Tahiliani. Tina's brother is the famous Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani and although the boutique holds some of his collection it also stocks a wide range of other designers - including emerging talent so she was keen to look at the work of Kate and Kerry – she even offered to stock Simeon's soon to be legendary 'I Love India' T shirts! Tina started the shop 15 years ago at a time when there were no real boutiques or even a culture of shopping in India in that way – individuals either had clothes tailored or else, if they could afford to, they shopped abroad. With a background in high finance in the US Tina took advantage of the liberalisation of India in the 1980's and an increasingly sophisticated local market and now she runs 5 stores. She is a firm supporter of traditional crafts she has worked with NGO's to support endangered skills like weaving.
A very swift lunch before heading to Mélange http://www.melangeworld.com/, a store developed and owned by Sangita Kathiwada. Sangita is proprietor, Mélange, Fashion House and Director, Morarka Centre for Craft (NCPA). Qualified as a graphic designer, she went on to do further courses in jewellery designing, ceramics, fashion designing, interior decoration, photography, and silkscreen printing. A combination of all these led to the founding of Mélange, a fashion house. Again like Tina she established her store 16 years ago restoring an old wine cellar with great care and using reclaimed and recycled materials into the amazing space it is today. She has identified and encouraged new talent making her a mentor to several now-famous designers including Priyadarshini Rao, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Narendra Kumar, Savio Jon and Aki Narula to name a few. Through the process of setting up Mélange, Sangita was struck by the tremendous debt owed to the art and craft heritage. Even today, they play a pivotal role in clothing us, dressing our rooms, and enhancing the quality of our lives. In recognition of this, Sangita established Morcrafts, a non-profit organization dedicated to increase the interaction between rural artisans and urban designers.
In October 1998, Sangita launched a special year-long, non-sale exhibition of modern Indian art with the support of Neville Tuli. Held at a unique gallery called The Window set up expressly for the project, the exhibition allowed students and collectors to observe significant works of contemporary art for a fortnight each. The result was a historically significant step towards building a knowledge base in this sphere. Today, Sangita keeps up her dedication to art by serving on the Executive Council of HEART (Holistic Education and Art), and on the Advisory Council for Aesthetics and Style of Osian's, Connoisseurs of Arts Pvt. Ltd.
Sangita's dynamism and principles proved a real inspiration for the group and she was full of useful advice and contacts.
Sangita's dynamism and principles proved a real inspiration for the group and she was full of useful advice and contacts.
Last but certainly not least was a meeting with the one and only Manish Malhotra. Manish has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. Most Bollywood actresses have worn his designs.
Although he usually designs for women, he designed for Shahrukh Khan (known as King Khan in Bollywood) for Mohabbatein. He was also asked to design clothes for Michael Jackson when he visited India for a Bollywood show.In 2005, he began a talk show named The Manish Malhotra Show. He trained fellow designer Surily Goel, who made her debut at Lakme Fashion Week 2006. He has won many awards including the Indira Priyadarshini Memorial Award for his contribution to the fashion industry, Stylish Designer Of the Year at the Elle Style Awards in 1999, the German Public Bollywood Award for Om Shanti Om and has also been felicitated by National Institute Of Fashion Technology.
He is now heading towards the field of Film Direction and he will be starting his career as a director with Sri Krishna International.
Day 7 - Sunday 7 December
This was a free day but most of the group took the opportunity to do some shopping to get a feel for the retail sector in the city, including Linking Road - the closest thing to the 'high street' in Mumbai.
Day 6 - Saturday 6 December
Morning
The group had a meeting with Priya Patil the Creative Future 07 winner who successfully designs and produces beautiful scarves as well as styling everything from adverts to music videos. Also in attendance was the young filmmaker Nanzeen Kapasi who brought along a friend Felix Bendish and so ensued another fortuitous meeting. Felix is joint owner of 'Coffee, Tea and Me' and he promptly offered to show the group around his studio where they got to see, first hand, highly skilled artisans creating the most intricate and astonishing embroidery and appliqué work. Several of our finalists could immediately see great potential for collaborations, from the couture angle by Kate and Kerry through to Simeon's t-shirts.
Afternoon
From there they went to see Shilpa Chavan whose label is - 'Little Shilpa'. Shilpa was an IYFE 08 finalist and she designs and produces conceptual pieces which are part apparel, part installation art. Her work has some audience in India but at present she is gaining more recognition internationally as the domestic market is more appreciative of designer labels rather than her hand crafted creations.
Day 5 - Friday 5 December
Mumbai
Another day another city! This time the finalists were taken to meet the talented up and coming designer Nachiket Barve of 'Nachiket Barve Design’ http://www.nachiketbarvedesign.com/.
Nachiket attended the National Institute of Design (NID) for a Post Graduate diploma in Apparel and Accessory Design, as well as a stint at ENSAD Paris before launching his own label at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in March 2007 and he has since shown four seasons. His label stands for the philosophy that he believes in, which is that of luxury expressed in a contemporary, fresh and innovative way. He creates his 
own textiles using the finest materials to bring about an amalgamation of intricate techniques and clean streamlined silhouettes. The beginning of every collection starts from the process of creating the fabric itself using material, techniques and skillsavailable locally - despite increasing costs due to the pressure for space in the city and environs. The look of the range is international, while the elements that go into making it are Indian.
The group had a meeting with Priya Patil the Creative Future 07 winner who successfully designs and produces beautiful scarves as well as styling everything from adverts to music videos. Also in attendance was the young filmmaker Nanzeen Kapasi who brought along a friend Felix Bendish and so ensued another fortuitous meeting. Felix is joint owner of 'Coffee, Tea and Me' and he promptly offered to show the group around his studio where they got to see, first hand, highly skilled artisans creating the most intricate and astonishing embroidery and appliqué work. Several of our finalists could immediately see great potential for collaborations, from the couture angle by Kate and Kerry through to Simeon's t-shirts.
Afternoon
From there they went to see Shilpa Chavan whose label is - 'Little Shilpa'. Shilpa was an IYFE 08 finalist and she designs and produces conceptual pieces which are part apparel, part installation art. Her work has some audience in India but at present she is gaining more recognition internationally as the domestic market is more appreciative of designer labels rather than her hand crafted creations.
Day 5 - Friday 5 December
Mumbai
Another day another city! This time the finalists were taken to meet the talented up and coming designer Nachiket Barve of 'Nachiket Barve Design’ http://www.nachiketbarvedesign.com/.
Nachiket attended the National Institute of Design (NID) for a Post Graduate diploma in Apparel and Accessory Design, as well as a stint at ENSAD Paris before launching his own label at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in March 2007 and he has since shown four seasons. His label stands for the philosophy that he believes in, which is that of luxury expressed in a contemporary, fresh and innovative way. He creates his 
own textiles using the finest materials to bring about an amalgamation of intricate techniques and clean streamlined silhouettes. The beginning of every collection starts from the process of creating the fabric itself using material, techniques and skillsavailable locally - despite increasing costs due to the pressure for space in the city and environs. The look of the range is international, while the elements that go into making it are Indian.Lunch was very kindly provided by Natchiket's mother and was greatly appreciated by all!
