MUMBAI, 13th DECEMBER 2019 (GPN): Lakmé Fashion Week announces the 29th batch of one of its most coveted talent discovery programs – Gen Next. The four selected designers will be presenting their creations at the upcoming Summer/Resort ‘20 edition #scheduled to be hosted between 12th to 16th February 2020.

The programme this season, received over 300 applications by aspiring designers from across the country. The 4 winners were handpicked by an esteemed jury that comprised the likes of Amit Aggarwal, Tina Tahiliani and Gen Next mentor Sabina Chopra among other industry experts.

Since its inception, the Gen Next mentorship programme has been celebrated for identifying new talent, providing young designers with a nurturing platform and turning them into formidable stars. In the past, the program has been credited with introducing talent some of the most well-known names in the industry like Kallol Dutta, Rahul Mishra, Ruchika Sachdeva, Nachiket Barve, Masaba Gupta and many more.

Announcing the latest batch of Gen Next designers, Ashwath Swaminathan, Head of Innovations, Lakmé said, “Discovering talent is one of the most critical pillars of Lakmé Fashion Week. The Gen Next program is a testament to the platform’s commitment towards identifying, nurturing and promoting young designers who will define the face of tomorrow’s fashion. We look forward to seeing the 29th batch showcase their creations on the runway this season.”

Talking about the Gen Next programme Jaspreet Chandok, Head – Lifestyle Businesses, IMG Reliance Ltd said, “The Gen Next programme gives some of the most exceptional young talent in the country an opportunity to showcase their work on a large platform like Lakmé Fashion Week. The winners have been chosen from a bunch of extremely promising entries and I welcome the new batch of Gen Next designers and hope to see them flourish in the fashion world.”

29th Batch of Gen Next designers:

AKHL by Akhil Nagpal

Information on the designer and the collection:

Name: Akhil Nagpal

Age: 28

City: Mumbai

After graduating from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in 2017, Akhil worked with Peter Pilotto in London, Manish Arora and Amit Aggarwal in Delhi before founding his label in 2019.

Akhil’s collection is inspired by dramatic tensile structures, from tensile architecture and art installations to industrial equipment and manmade membranous objects. They all serve as the visual and technical foundation for the collection. The range ethically sources surplus fishing monofilament yarns from various fishing villages in Maharashtra, spectrum dyes and repurposes them as embroidery yarns. AKHL also uses textiles using industrial glass yarns, rayon and silk; cutting-edge fabrics such as latex and metallic foils to emphasize the patterns of the textiles and silhouettes.

ALL2DEFY by Ananya Modi Jain

Information on the designer and the collection:

Name: Ananya Modi Jain

Age: 26

City: New Delhi

Ananya has experience in both American and European fashion as she graduated with a BFA in Womenswear from Parsons, New York and a Masters in Luxury Accessory Design and Management from Istituto Maragoni, Milan. Established in 2018, ALL2DEFY stems from an idea to defy societal norms. Ananya wants to create a cultural revolution where her products reminding consumers of their greater responsibility and role in the world.

The collection represents a convergence of style, form, and function. The designs are an amalgamation of minimalist aesthetics and boundary-pushing proportions and cuts. Bold and vibrant prints offer a fresh twist defying taboos through witty graphics.

C H A N D R I M A by Chandrima Agnihotri

Information on the designer and the collection:

Name: Chandrima Agnihotri

Age: 28 years

City: Noida

A graduate of fashion design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology Mumbai, Chandrima Agnihotri, started her career by earning her tutelage under celebrated designers and pioneers of the Indian Fashion industry like Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Rohit Bal. She launched her label in 2019 armed with hard earned learning coupled with an innovative approach.

Inspired by the distinctive style of embroidery done by the Jat community of Kutch, the collection celebrates diversity in craft forms by blending techniques and fabrics prominent in nomadic communities in India along with international style. The motive behind the collection is to sustain the folklore of India and cultural diversity by incorporating Indian crafts and bringing them to global platforms through fashion.

GRAINE by Mannat Sethi and Harshna Kandhari

Information on the designer and the collection:

Name: Mannat Sethi and Harshna Kandhari

Age: 27 years and 29 years respectively

City: New Delhi

GRAINE is a collaboration of mind and heart. Harshna Kandhari is the intuitive visionary behind GRAINE with a master’s in finance while Mannat Sethi is the impressionable heart of GRAINE with a history of art and a formal degree in design from NIFT.

The collection draws inspiration from an almost age-old tradition in Indian sweets – KAJU KATLI – giving it a millennial take.  The range redefines and reuses discarded rubber types, which are then meticulously hand cut into strips and forms, embellished with Zardozi handwork. ENDS