After two years of digital and phygital showcases due to the pandemic, the powerhouses of fashion and beauty in India – Lakme Fashion Week (jointly organised by Lakme & RISE Worldwide) and the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) together will be hosting a fully on-ground, season-fluid edition in New Delhi, from March 23-27 2022.

Sumati Mattu, Head of Innovations at Lakme said, “In line with the Lakme Absolute Explore Eye Colours Range, a trend statement that invites everyone to go beyond the ordinary and the expected, we are looking to explore newer avenues this time around with this physical edition of FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week. We are excited with all that’s new including the location, integrations of technology, partnerships, and an army of new talent. The goal for Lakme has always been to merge the latest innovations in beauty and fashion and provide the customer with an unforgettable experience. This is what this seasonless fluid edition of FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week will bring to the table.”

“Energies are at an all-time high as we curate a diverse range of pathbreaking showcases and initiatives. This edition is extremely special as we are making a full physical come back after two years of adapting to the digital environment. Our audiences can expect the best of designers and talent at this edition of FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week with an extremely intense and power-packed schedule,” said Sunil Sethi, Chairman FDCI.

Jaspreet Chandok, Head RISE Fashion and Lifestyle said, “As we move back towards a fully on-ground format we are looking forward to bringing a slew of fantastic collaborations with leading designer labels and brands at FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week. While we continue with some of our long-standing partners, we also welcome new ones. The edition will bring exciting new ideas and innovations and feature a strong curation of designers and talent which we hope is worthy of the newly unified fashion week of the country.”

The line-up begins with the Opening Show jointly presented by the FDCI and Lakme Fashion Week on March 22 and culminates with the Lakme Absolute Grand Finale on the 27th.

Celebrated designers from across the country form part of the schedule with marquee showcases by Pankaj & Nidhi, Samant Chauhan, Ranna Gill, Vaishali S, Reynu Taandon, Pawan Sachdeva, Siddartha Tytler and Outhouse.

The Manish Malhotra brand will be launching a new category; DIFFUSE, an ease to couture.

Lakme Lumi Cream presents Alpana Neeraj #LitWithLumi.

FDCI to showcase Ashish N Soni and present a Khadi curation comprising French-Malian designer, Mossi Traore and leading Indian designers Abhishek Gupta Benares, Anavila, Anju Modi, Charu Parashar and Rina Dhaka.

Several longstanding partners will return to the platform to collaborate with leading designers including NEXA x Tarun Tahiliani, Bata x Suneet Varma, Lakme Salon x Varun Bahl, TENCEL LUXE x JJ Valaya, boAt x HUEMN, Natural Diamond Council x Rimzim Dadu.

New brands realme and John Jacobs will be partnering with ace designers Shantnu and Nikhil as well as Shivan & Narresh respectively. Adidas Originals will partner with Khanijo and Antar Agni for their showcase

Key showcases on Sustainable Fashion Day include R|Elan x Satya Paul by Rajesh Pratap Singh; Bemberg x Payal Pratap; FDCI KHADI Show; RISE Worldwide X Fashion For Good: Innovation for Circularity – Nitin Bal Chauhan, Divyam Mehta and Ka-Sha and the return of the coveted Circular Design Challenge – an initiative of R|Elan in partnership with FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week and UN in India & United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Ajio Luxe continues as the preferred partner for showcasing and sales of all the exemplary collections showcased on the ramp.

In continuation with the collaboration with NBA (National Basketball Association), the winning designer Ananya Modi Jain, will be showcasing her NBA 75 collection.

aLL – The Plus Size Store will return to the platform to host a plus size show and there will also be showcase by 6degree.

Prestigious talent discovery programs of the platform such as INIFD GenNext, NEXA presents The Spotlight, INIFD Launchpad, FDCI x Pearl Academy FirstCut will introduce new and emerging talent ReshaWeaves, by ReshaMandi, will be debuting at the Showroom to present exclusive and sustainable natural fibre products.

The platform will offer two showcase areas for designers and will continue to champion sustainability through path-breaking initiatives while further spreading messages of inclusivity and diversity. The Showroom will also be back in an on-ground format for buyers in addition to enhanced features in the virtual initiative. Shows will continue to be live-streamed across key OTT platforms to reach a far and wide audience.