The Fashion Design Council of India formally announced the first annual Van Heusen India Men’s Week and unveiled the event’s logo, alongside the names of the twenty-eight designers selected to show.
The event
- Dates. 11 to 13 September 2009.
- Venue. The Grand, New Delhi.
- Format. Fifteen shows across three days.
- Scope. Menswear and accessories collections.
It was positioned as the biggest fashion trade event for men in India, bringing the menswear industry together in one place at one time.
Why a dedicated men’s week mattered
Indian fashion weeks to this point had been dominated by womenswear, with menswear appearing as a segment rather than as the main event. A dedicated calendar slot changes the commercial position of the category: buyers attend for menswear specifically, and designers build full collections rather than capsules.
The selection criteria reflected that commercial framing. Sunil Sethi, President of the FDCI, described the jury as having drawn up a list of both reputed and emerging designers with, in his words, the right blend of creativity and commercial viability, following what he characterized as an overwhelming response from designers wanting to take part.
The twenty-eight designers
The full list of designers selected to show:
- Abraham and Thakore
- ANKY m
- Ashish N Soni
- Aslam Khan
- Ezma
- Fightercock by Abhishek Gupta and Nandita Basu
- Gaurav Gupta
- Gunjan and Rahul
- Himmat Singh
- JJ Valaya
- Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali
- Manoviraj Khosla
- Narendra Kumar Ahmed
- Nitin Bal Chauhan
- Priyadarshini Rao
- Rajesh Pratap Singh
- Rajvi Mohan
- Ravi Bajaj
- Rina Dhaka
- Rocky S
- Rohit Bal
- Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna
- Samant Chauhan
- Shantanu and Nikhil
- Siddartha Tytler
- Tarun Tahiliani
- Vijay Arora
- Zubair Kirmani
Frequently asked questions
What is the FDCI?
The Fashion Design Council of India, the body that organizes India’s principal fashion weeks and represents designers commercially.
How many shows were scheduled?
Fifteen shows across three days, covering menswear and accessories.
This report dates from 2009. For related career context see fashion career scope.
