MAKING NEW WAVES

Four Indian designers celebrate the relevance of homegrown craftsmanship and textiles at the BRICS Fashion Summit.

- SONAL VED

Winter in Moscow twinkles as the Christmas lights go up. On one snowy evening in November, four Indian designers showcased their Autumn/Winter collection at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit held in Pashkov House. The slush was almost ankle-high, the sun had set. Against this backdrop, the neoclassical mansion, which overlooks the western wall of the iconic Kremlin, looked straight out of a Tarkovsky movie. Inside the milky-walled structure, an audience of over 100 had gathered to root for four Indian designers—Ritesh Kumar, Shruti Sancheti, and Naushad Ali of their eponymous labels, and Gaurav Khanijo from Khanijo. They were handpicked from across the country by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), and formed the Indian delegation to represent the country’s fashion industry alongside China, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, and a few other countries. While Ritesh and Gaurav have their roots in Delhi, Shruti is based out of Nagpur, and Naushad hails from Pondicherry. The designers showcased pieces that paid homage to homegrown textiles and craftsmanship—think everything from handspun khadi, matka silk, and woven cotton, to running stitches and more.

ON FOREIGN SHORES