Bringing the universe of pride to life, the recently concluded Blenders Pride Fashion Tour went beyond conventional runway shows in its milestone 15th edition, to unveil a breathtakingly new face of fashion.

While ‘pride’ as a meaningful expression of success and individuality continues to take centre-stage, it is actually India with its indigenous ‘craft’, ‘blend’ of diverse influences, and a distinctive ‘identity’ that became the canvas of expression this year.

Charting a unique course, the iconic 15th year of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour came out with a path-breaking format with designer Ashish Soni as curator-in-chief, and an exclusive collaboration with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the industry thought leader.

By focussing laser-sharp on fashion, the tour presented festivals of fashion and create a universe of pride through its three themes – Craft, Blend and Identity – in the three city chapters of Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. It culminated in a larger-than-life finale, ‘The Pride of India’, in collaboration with FDCI, in Mumbai.

The 15 eminent designers associated with this year’s event were Anju Modi, JJ Vallaya, Raghavendra Rathore, Suneet Varma, Gaurav Gupta, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Abraham & Thakore, Wendell Rodricks, Monisha Jaising, Namrata Joshipura, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Ashish Soni.

The tour also launched a new element, The Showcase, to provide a breakthrough opportunity for aspiring fashion designers and models to be mentored and display their talent.

The lucky few who emerged as winners include designers like Ikshit Pande (Quod), Sushant Abrol (Countrymade) and Stanzin Palmo (Zilzom), and models like Ritu Chauhan, Poojan Solanki and Preethy Karan.

Mr. Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, said, “In its 15th year of spearheading the fashion industry, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour moves beyond conventional shows to become a celebration of all things fashion with a new vision.”