The FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week have named Naushad Ali of label Naushad Ali and the label SWGT as the winners of the second edition of the ‘NEXA presents The Spotlight’ competition.
Participating designers presented their collections along with the idea and concept of their fashion film through a virtual presentation to a jury of industry experts. The winning designers have been given a gratification to shoot and create their fashion film which will be showcased at FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week in October.
The jury included Shashank Srivastava, senior executive director (marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited; Sunil Sethi, chairman of FDCI; Jaspreet Chandok, head, RISE Fashion & Lifestyle; Raghavendra Rathore, fashion designer, among others.
Chandok said, “For the first time, we have selected two designers as the winners for ‘NEXA Presents The Spotlight’. We at FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week believe that the new and emerging crop of designers have the power to define the future of fashion.”
The winners were chosen from among nine shortlisted designers. Each of the designers were given the task to interpret the theme ‘Euphoria’ in line with NEXA’s “create, inspire” ethos in their submissions. “Both (Naushad Ali and SWGT) their creative inspirations are about journeys, and we look forward to help them bring their creativity and innovation to life through this association," said Srivastava.
Naushad Ali’s winning presentation is all about seeking answers to a new path. Called Getting out there- A ride through the dawn, it’s a story of a free-spirited girl who is breaking all the ground rules. With his SS/FW’21 collection, the 34-year-old designer from Puducherry has reinterpreted Indian weaving techniques, brought multi-coloured bold strokes of Jamdani in textured cotton, largescale irregular checks, and variegated stripes in a plethora of natural colours.
SWGT’s winning presentation, meanwhile, takes inspiration from Shweta Gupta’s childhood experiences and local histories of Almora, where the 34-year-old designer was brought up. Her label SWGT reflects the connection between the mountains, people and its culture where the muse is personified as a seeker, wanderer, gatherer and thinker. The Chanderi textiles from Central India used to create her pieces are a derivative of the play of light with these mighty forms.