“There is a dire need of a system to protect the mother of a girl child” said Maneka Gandhi, Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development

New Delhi, 19th October 2016: The Bridge Conclave – Conversations on Gender Empowerment, was inaugurated by Ms. Maneka Gandhi, Minister for Women and Child development today in New Delhi.

Maneka Gandhi at the inaugral session of The Bridge conclave

Nandita Das and Sharmila Tagore at the session

The day witnessed presence of other eminent speakers – Sharmila Tagore, Nandita Das, Ankhi Das, Rohini Nilekani, Shohini Ghosh, Ginni Mahi, Urvashi Butalia, Mona Eltahawy, Nivedita Menon, amongst many other luminaries. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Maneka Gandhi highlighted the issues related to Defense & Safety and Actual Empowerment. As a solution to the issue of molestation, she brought up, “We have taken the First ever initiative to introduce the world’s 1st panic button on the cell phone. It is an app for the safety of women – once you press the button, it will alert 10 people closest to you before the police arrives (technological solution)”.

She further said, “We have also taken an initiative to introduce ‘One stop centers’ dedicated to women. One stop centers will be a solution for this issue. Further, for encouraging women in India, we have recently started a program called ‘STEP’ in order to train 200 women at once to get them jobs in the fields like organic farming and learning different skills. The other one is E-Mahila Hut where people can buy stuff from, instead of buying them from outside. It has to be a whole generation of women who can lead the nation and this should be started from the ground level”.

The inaugural session was followed by a session on the evolution of female actors in Bollywood. Narrating her experiences of gender biases in the industry, Sharmila Tagore said, “Somewhere or the other all female actor has been in shackles and that is the attitude which we need to change. The fact that even now in many movies which are based on women empowerment and related issues, somewhere there are subtle patriarchal messages and this is where the gap lies.”

Nandita Das speaking about her roles in ‘Aks’ and ‘Firaq’ said, “When I came into the limelight I had always been referred to as ‘Dark and Dusky heroine’. Somehow the film makers considered my complexion related to a certain social class and that was the only role they wanted me to portray.” 

At the conclave, Mona Eltahawy, freelance Egyptian-American Journalist, Ms. Nivedita Menon, Professor Of Political Thought , JNU and Urvashi Butalia, co-founder of Kali for Women, India’s first feminist publisher talked of the translation of the idea of feminism in the context of Indian society and its culture. 

The first half of the conclave concluded with a live performance by Ginni Mahi, the famous Punjabi Pop Singer. Through her songs, she encourages the Dalit community to unify against forces of social inequity and economic deprivation. On the occasion, Ginni Mahi said that women empowerment is one critical subject that she has addressed in her songs. 

About The Bridge:

The Bridge is a unique initiative which will disrupt the common themes and discourses, on which Gender Empowerment is usually conceptualised on, and in turn, address the gap between theory and implementation.

The momentum of the day long event was carried forward in the second round of conversation, wherein, Ankhi Das (Public Policy Director, Facebook) in an extensive conversation with Radhika Piramal (MD of VIP Industries, Richa Shah (Managing Editor, Children Publishing Division at Delhi Press) and Shikha Malan (Film-maker & Writer) brought out the issues that patriarchy enforces upon the working women in India.

Taking the conversation forward, Rohini Nilekani, a leading Indian philanthropist, conversing on the plight of the young Indian man said that India today needs to get rid of the patriarchal stereotypes in terms of constructing masculinity as well as femininity, eradicating the challenges in society as a whole. 

Aditi Mittal, stand up comedian brought up the changing dynamics of sex and dating with the growing inclination of technology into our day to day life, in a conversation with Taru Kapoor (Head, Tinder India), Parmesh Shahani (Head of Godrej India, Culture Lab), Paromita Vora (Filmmaker & Writer) and Mayank Shekhar (Film Critic). The discussion revolved around how technology and love have evolved, changing the existing stereotypes in the eyes of the society.  

Taking the pace of the event to the next level, while talking about “A woman in the World, Farah Khan (Bollywood Director, Choreographer & Actor) said, “Bollywood doesn't care about your gender, orientation or origin. There are two aspects around which the dynamics of Bollywood revolve- Chivalry and Chauvinism.” 

Speaking about Mohalla Sabha, Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, said, “Mohalla Sabha is not a place to discuss or direct what a girl should wear or do, instead it is a platform to facilitate all those things which a girl wants to do. In a society, if there is something that might hamper the freedom of our girls, Mohalla Sabha shall take note and act upon it.” He further said, “ The most important clause in Mohalla Sabha is that one-third of its members must be women.”

Blaming the current education that is prevalent in any of the social groups for gender bias, Manish Sisodia said, “Since our childhood, we are taught that the opposite of man is woman. What we must realize is that men and women are not opposites but complimentary”.   

Sharing in views on Love, sex and cinema Dibakar Banerjee, Director, Screenwriter, Producer and Filmmaker said,” We see patriarchy in insidious simple plays and we start suppressing it. We should allow children to play the same games from their very childhood. In order to eradicate gender division, we need to get rid of these untold, silent damages. Objectifying anyone, be it men or women, is beyond question. Therefore my movies doesn’t have a female protagonist as such.” 

Soni Sori (Adivasi school teacher turned political leader in Sameli village of Dantewada in south Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India), Vrinda Grover (Women’s rights activist), Kalyani Menon-Sen (Feminist Activist & Writer), Shalini Gera (Advocate) shared their views on the subject matter. “Young adivasi women have to take the role of human rights defenders as the young men fear the authorities” said Shalini Gera at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Mallika Dua (Copy-writer) said, “Men aren't called out for rejecting offers that does not suit them. Its 'mansplained' as "attitude problems" when it comes to women.”

The day concluded with extensive conversations coupled with in-depth discussions on gender equality, the idea of feminism, portrayal and perception of female actors in the Indian cinema. Keeping this in view, all the speakers who were present in the conclave agreed to the fact that there is a dire need of a robust education system to bring about a change in the mentality and the social cultural construct in the Indian society.

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India Runway Week in association with Big Boy Toyz, Season 7 Winter/Festive Edition commenced at Thyagraj Stadium.

New Delhi, 28 September, 2016:  The much awaited fashion extravaganza India Runway Week in association with Big Boy Toyz, Season 7 Winter/Festive Edition commenced at Thyagraj Stadium. The show opened with the designs of International Designer Bibi Russell  under the name of “Rajasthali”. The day one of the India Runway Week was high on creativity, where experienced designers ruled the ramp, the newbies were also not far behind. Daniel Syiem from North East also shared the ramp with Bibi Russell in the opening show. His label Breathe Easy is an attempt to make clothes feel like second skin to your body. Blending pure cotton and raw silk with tribal weaves from North East India, the collection comprises of looks that cater to men and women who just want to break free....and breathe easy.

 Aditya Khandelwl

 Anshu Kathuria

 Bollywood Actress Zeenat Aman walked ramp for Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal at India Runway Week 

 DandA

 Daniel Sayiem

 Design by Bibi Russell

 Design by Shreya Somaiyaa

 Designs by Miku Kumar

 Designs of Yasmeen Mehra

 Disha Doshi Gandhi

 DSIGND

 Isha Gupta in Yoshtita's Couture attire

 Isha Gupta Tayal

 Manika Sureka

 Rachat by Shruti and Rohan

 Ridhi Sidhi Finale

 Sharmila Tagore in Rohini Gugnani attire

 Shweta Sarda

 Studio AV

 Stuti Shah

varija Bajaj

Shreeya Somaiya, introduces her debut collection inspired by the classic Shakespearean ballet “A Midsummer Night Dream.”  Her designs translate the enchanting world of magic and love charms that the play represents. The collection focuses on encapsulating the spirit of feminine power with a touch of elegance that the female characters of the play demonstrate. On the other hand beautiful actress Soha Ali Khan was spotted for designer from Hyderabad Shweta Sharda, who presented the glory of womanhood through her designs on the ramp. Shweta wanted to depict the brave step took by women in redesigning her own map to explore the World.  “Her Collection is about women like me who love to travel around the world” says Soha Ali Khan.  Deepika Reddy from Ishithaa Design House launched her debut Winter / Festive collection ‘Vadhuvu’ at India Runway Week. The collection ‘Vadhuvu’ meaning bride in Telugu; echoed what every South Indian Bride desires to be on her big day. The Hues and textures of the lehengas, gowns and the Kanchipuram silk sarees are what every girl would lust after. Reframing The Regal by Designer by Isha Gupta Tayal is an amalgamation of British Empire and royal India. It comes up with a desire to see Indian women breaking out of their pearl cages and enter into royal steampunk adventures.  The collection is all about “Imaginative  Dressing” , invention, adventure and worldliness. While speaking about her collection Varija says, “We see virtual heroes on the silver screen who are good, fight all evils and are perfect in every possible way. We aspire to be like them in our real lives. Then we see Super Heroes, who fight battles in real lives to protect others.

Actor Mugdha Godse walked the ramp for Satomi By Rakam. They showcased the collection under the name ‘Myrah’ goes back to the ancient times of 17 th century. It elucidates an aristocratic lady who is extraordinary and admirable. It symbolizes women of exquisite charm, with motifs inspired by age old art with a modern twist to create history. Aditya Khandelwl showcases some of the most intricate and extravagant pieces in a fusion style statement marrying the silhouettes from the British Raj to India’s own traditional Mughal embroidery and richness.

Day 1 comes to an end with the show of Studio AV by Gaurav and Nitesh, actor Mandana Karimi sizzled the ramp as a showstopper for them . Studio AV by Gaurav and Nitesh presented their beautiful collection ‘Dhaage’ at the India Runaway Week. The mesmerizing collection, aptly named ‘Dhaage’, is the beautiful journey of threads into a Masterpiece. The entire collection is handmade in threads with a little bit of zardosi and dapka work to add some glitter.

The second day of  India Runway week Season 7 in association with Big Boy Toyz  started  with college students doing the  ramp walk in  the designs of the students from Appejay Design Institute.  Apeejay Design Institute is the Knowledge partner of India Runway Week Season 7. The second show of the day started with “Euphoria” by Disha Doshi Gandhi. Captivating Ikat patterns have been used, whose colors reflect local heritage and are bright and contrasting, as per the theme of the collection. Geometry plays a considerate part within the whole collection. Since winter/festive collection, we have used jackets, overcoats and scarves to complete our looks. VIDA DE FRIDA by Designer Payal & Zinal is based on the theme- age of UNGENDER, where its the person that matters and not their Gender. It is because, today, people have a balanced identity that includes   the virtues of both the Genders. And both the male and female personalities are coming to accept the “Other Side".  Kantha  by Stuti Shan is an primordial craft, made by the women of Rural West Bengal. Bolpur-Shantiniketan is essentially famous for its ethnic and creative Kantha embroidery all over India. Every stitch of this embroidery is hand sewn. It takes nearly 3 to 4 months to complete 1saree. 

Rachat by Shruti and Rohan ‘s  collection revolves around the personal emotions of an army girl. How at first she is very determined about her duties and responsibilities as a Jawan. She goes through a rigorous training process for which she was not mentally ready at the time, but she does it anyway. She starts missing her family, friends and basically her whole life before joining the Armed Forces. THE FLUTE ENCHANTER by Manika Surekha is the inspiration of the collection comes from the magnificent life of lord Krishna. Use of hand painted motifs with a fusion of fabrics forms the center of my collection. While keeping my inspiration as my focus in all my creations, the garments are very fresh and modern. The exaggerated flow in the garments is perfect for all body types.

'' THE INDIAN DISNEY STORY'', by designer Mithi Kalra, speaks for itself. Dresses, gowns suited for a Princess , based on the traditional art of Madhubani, hand embroidered on pure silks and organza . The collection wonderfully and imaginatively combines the grace of a bygone era, with the modern day fashion. PERSIAN STORY by designer Ravneet Toor is inspired from the tales of Persia. Indian bridal wear inspired by the  beauty of the majestic empire will be seen on the ramp. Flowy silhouettes and intricate handwork with the mix of royal colors.

Foram Rambha’s concept is gowns which are flowy & combined with Indian and Western culture. His inspiration is floral designs, which will also see variations of different floral designs in embroidery patterns which are both Indian and Western. The colors used is from o-1 that is from pastels to vibrant drank colours.  The outfits can be worn in a cocktail as well as a wedding reception ceremony. Inspired by our nation’s winning drive, “SAVE THE GIRLD CHILD”, ‘SAHIRA BY YASMEEN MEHRA’ presented the New Winter/ Festive collection ‘ERUBESCENT’, ‘The Blooming Flower. The show depicted the evolution of a bright girl child to a shining woman of today. 

“Three Musketeers of Nature”, an winter festive collection by emerging designer Radhika Jindal showcases an amalgam of the floral and faunal motif and a direct contrast to the somber colors of fall with its exuberant hues of Deep Electric Blue, Turquoise Blue, Watermelon Pink and Sunflower Yellow. Actress Esha Gupta  turned showstopper for designer Yoshita Yadav at the Indian runway week 2016. The designer  showcased her collection inspired by the city of Lucknow which remains the fashion capital of Northern India. "In this season's collection, we at Yoshita Couture have used 100 per cent. Indian woven Raw Silks, woven in Varanasi and Bengaluru, depending on colour specifications. "In this collection, one can see a vivid representation of motifs taken from most famous Mughal monuments of Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara, and the Rumi Darwaza," said the designer in a statement. 

Magiska by Shalini is a reflection of Indian heritage of rich textiles and centuries old craftsmanship. It is the modern interpretation of Indian classical silhouettes coupled with an evergreen shelf life that makes each product extremely unique - a classic that can be passed on from one generation to the next. 

While Day 1 of India Runway Week, Season 6 started off with a bang, day 3 hasn’t slowed down one bit. Day 3 started with the 5 designer show Shilpa Chourasia, Sana Khan, Var-Shi by Varun and Vidushi, Preatz by Preethi Fazel, Abitie by Megha Mahendru.

BRIDALSUTRA by designer Shilpa Chourasia is the cerebral modern bride splurges on her trousseau as smartly as she plans her big crazy wedding. Taking ques from her convertible lifestyle, designer Shilpa Chaurasia have crafted a genius Lehenga, which wraps and unwraps into two distinct styles. Sana Khan’s “Conserving Mother Nature” is the collection for which she draws inspiration from the nature along with the beauty and elegance of floral architecture beautifully translated into a fresh outlook and stunning range on garments. Her pieces include intricate cuts and details on her clothes perfectly constructed with attention to details drawn from the floral beauty spinning a beautiful fairytale story through her clothes. She uses a lot of pastel embroidery and Zardozi work to reconstruct the enchanting floral palate in her clothes. 

Varun Loht and Vidushi Gulati presented their latest collection,"The neo femme ",  celebrating the modern women in all her poise and majesty. The collection features mysterious dark and bold hues with basic silhouettes and embroidered, edgy lapels. Combining the Indian dabka with the European baroque style, the collection exemplifies the wandering soul still tethered to her spiritual roots. Preethi Fazel presented  ‘The Florals’ ,  which showcased a wide variety of soft, elegant, flowing fabrics, florals of bridal wear that combines to form a stunning silhouette for a modern woman. The Florals mark the designer’s first foray into bridal fashion, which symbolizes beauty, innocence and purity of women, which comes across as both chic and elegant.

The Collection “SILVAT” by Megha Mahendru is inspired from woman who is different and attempts to seek perfection in every role she plays in her daily life. The collection shows solitary calmness and feminine spirit. It portrays a woman who is unbound, bold and independent. The collection by this young Woman Entrepreneur is dedicated to Women Empowerment. The second show started with the collection of Gouri Gosain “THE CRAFT”, there are syncretic styles of Flora, Art and Architecture that evolved during the Mughal Period. Traditional forms of threadwork in its most contemporary form inspired by the Calico. Moving on, the collection comprises of intricate embroideries inspired by traditional Zardozi work. THEME-Talk of the blocks presented by KanchanKuntala Das is made of blocks of fabric with balanced yet discontinued use of embroidery. The material used is handloom cotton and the multicolor hand embroidery shapes up the story of the collection.

Amru by Chhandak Jana presents Padm'e The enchanting, elaborate and mystical Lotus motifs used in the wall paintings of Ajanta caves serve as the central theme for this collection. The lotus rooted in the mud blooms and blossoms into a beautiful flower, it detaches itself from the mud, grows through purifying water and reaches for sunlight- each of the garment in the collection uses lotus as a metaphor and points towards an individuals' desire and aspiration for enlightenment. MAFIA, collection revisits the era of the Mafia by Vinay Rana is an exploration of the classic look, with modern silhouettes. Vinay Rana is known for his ability to make heads turn with his sense of styling. The outfits have been distinctively accented with glitzy accessories. The tone of the collection embraces epicurean bright with dark & sooty colors.

The Muse Room by Akassh K Aggarwal is a celebration of Being a Queen Beyond her Peers. Collection of Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal comes with a message of celebrating women of all ages- from their teens to their 90's- who not only have a stellar sense of Living and a knack for making their way in the world but also possess that uncanny ability to know when to act their age and also when to throw the supposed limits of that number. Akassh  says, " I am very much delighted that Bollywood diva Zeenat Aman has walked the ramp for me. She has been my first crush and will always be my muse. Keeping her in mind, I have created the whole collection and have kept my collection name as "The Muse Room".  Zeenat Aman said, "Walking the ramp is always fun. It is a feel good factor when you get the instant reaction from the audience. I have seen the Jewellery of Akassh K Aggarwal and I am all excited to walk the ramp for his show at India Runway Week." 

“Riwayat -ethereal rendition of Phulkari” collection by “Gauri couture” was an attempt to revive traditional art of handmade Phulkari by creating avenues of employment and social empowerment for rural women of Punjab. The collection was an ode to phulkari artisans. Bringing the models in vibrant colors of phulkari and bling of gotta work Gauri couture designers Nikheil, Rivendra and Twinkle shows ensembles that move in perfect harmony in style, silhouette and form. Designer Jeevitha Perumal proudly presents her Ladylike collection under the label D.Sign.D by Jeevitha Perumal .Ladylike collection draws inspiration from the exquisite oyster mushrooms to reinvent the embellishments with the timeless ruffles. A melange of entrancingly elegant yet playful, colour palate ranging from soft pastels of rose quartz, serenity, arctic ice, lavender fog etc. 

Deblina and Atul premiered their collection –ARABESQUE which is entirely made up of Eco and skin- friendly Bamboo yarns knitted together to create magic spelling interesting ensembles. ARABESQUE the theme was indeed true to the amalgamation of contemporary and classical silhouettes and motifs. KNITWEAR indeed got a new dimension and with this range our notion of it being available only as sweaters for winters has been trashed out of the window. It’s a new page in Indian fashion history which has been written today at India Runway Week, where just like handlooms, hand knits encompassed the beauty of grand ensembles showcased. The feather in the hat was the intricately placed embroidery work, man folding the beauty of these contemporary stylized silhouettes. 

Designer Anshu Khathuria, who is making her debut at the fashion gala, is going to showcase a collection titled   “WINGS OF FIRE” – an ode to delicacy and strength of a WOMAN. Her label ‘AK’ delineate an exquisite concoction of Rich Indian Clothing Culture and Global Sophistication. The collection is featured in lucious  silks, satins, organza’s undulating ruffles & drapes unconventional layering , pleating & rouching  signifying  textures , curves , flair, deep emotions and passion in a  women’s life. 

Veteran Actress Sharmila Tagore walked ramp for Rohini Gugnani. Actress dazzled the show with the grace and dignity showcasing the splendid and grand Avadh era in her designs. Designer Rohini Gugnani's latest collection was an interesting play of concepts derived from the cities of Kanpur, Lucknow, Faizabad which redefined the glory of Avadh period in present time.  

The Grand finale of India Runway Week was by Designer Riddhi and Siddhi with their collection "English Country Gardens". Models walked the ramp with sports car by Big Boy Toyz. The show was the amalgamation of  glamour and cars. The collection conjures up contemplative thoughts of romance and lazy summer days. It is free spirited, light and easy with the use of light summer fabrics like chiffon, georgette, satin linen and pure silks.Thecolour story has a diverse range of hues from onion pinks,  peaches,off-whites, pale blue and brown.The silhouettes are long,  fluid and layered for women and sharp yet easygoing for men.

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