Bollywood designs in Malay

“We have become the first Indian designers to have showcased at the Islamic Fashion Festival’08 in Malaysia. We are ecstatic and proud that Indian designs are well-accepted beyond borders,” announced the designer duo excitedly. How did this come about, asked BT. The duo said that it all started with a warm invitation by the Princess Toh Puan Dato’ Hjh Noor Suzanna of Malaysia. She was organising a special showing of three designers for the Sultan and Sultana at the Islamic Fashion Festival. And it was them who were chosen from India. Well, what better way to show the colours of India than the hues of Bollywood. And thus quite naturally, the theme of Bollywood was selected in the designs. “The line was based on Punjab and each ensemble was very traditional in its feel. To add to the entire feel, we had models sporting churidaars, patiyalas, kaliras, ghungroos with matching jutis. We showcased a full line of bright and beautiful Indian wear there and received many compliments from the audiences.” From Malaysia, the IFF show was then showcased at Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Dubai. But the euphoria was shortlived, claim Rajesh and Anirban as after their show at IFF on November 26 last year, they came to know of how their own city Mumbai was attacked by terrorists. “The incident shook us and yet instilled a feeling of Indianness like never before.” Rajesh and Anirban are back in the city and are immensely thankful to the LFW platform. They were GenNext designers for the Autumn/Winter’08 season. The duo also bagged an award for the best eco-friendly design at LFW then.