Fashion Design Council of India Volume 4 - Issue 2

Vibha D*

• Department of Fashion and Textile, Kalinga University, India

Received:June 12, 2021   Published: June 21, 2021

*Corresponding author: Vibha D, Department of Fashion and Textile, Kalinga University, India

DOI: 10.32474/LTTFD.2021.04.000182

Abstract PDF

Fashion refers to the most popular clothing trends at the time – ‘currently’ being a relative term. It is continuously changing, evolving, and returning. Every fashion style and trend return at some point in the future. Fashion is a derivative of the Latin word ‘facere’ which means to ‘do or make’. The root word evolved through ‘factio’ to French ‘façon’ to ultimately ‘fashion’ in English. Fashion as a concept is just as old as mankind. Fashion commenced when human started wearing clothes. The mere draping of leaves is also considered clothing by the new age designers, and this brings us to the conclusion that fashion is not a medieval age denomination, but as ancient as the stone age. All along fashion has had a pride of place in the society as a mark of sophistication, wealth, heritage, and most importantly a distinctive element communicating status and occupation. Fashion has evolved over the period of time and diversified into aspects beyond clothes, to be an adjective associated with accessories as well like jewelry, etc. Fashion as a sector is unregulated as there are no laws or regulatory authority supervising the sector and its development, in comparison to other sectors like e-commerce, manufacturing, etc [1]. The key law governing fashion are the extant intellectual property laws, which protect the expression of the idea of the fashion, given the ideaexpression dichotomy.

Lack of regulatory supervision, rather the regulatory void has led to mushrooming of informal circles for streamlining the business in this sector and set out the market practices. The Fashion Design Council of India is one such cohort of people who have come together to take forward the mandate of fashion business in India. The Fashion Design Council of India is a not-for-profit organization, which was established about 20 years ago. The Fashion Design Council of India is set [2]. The Fashion Design Council of India has in engaged in the activities to take amplify fashion segment and aims to advance the fashion industry in India and ensure its longterm viability. It is a modelled like a membership cohort, and has more than 400 members, who are nothing less than whoo-hoo of the fashion business in India. The membership is a wide array of the best: fashion and accessory designers and professionals, educational institutions, and corporations. The criterion for membership is a rigorous process and based on selection only, based on demonstrated skill, standing, and integrity, and the applicant having spent at least two years actively engaged in creative fashion creation and marketing/retailing wearing apparel under their own label [3]. The Fashion Design Council of India is led by Sunil Sethi as the Chairman, who has been a member of the Fashion Design Council of India since 2008. He has made a significant contribution to the evolution of Indian fashion as the head of the Council through a number of innovative and effective projects. The Council has evolved into a design powerhouse under his guidance, nurturing new talent and providing business prospects for its designer members and their companies [4]. The Fashion Design Council of India also has a very elite set of persons on its board of governors, namely: Anjana Bhargav, Kumaar Bagrodia, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Paras Bairoliya, Payal Jain. Rahul Mishra, Rahul Vohra, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Reynu Taandon, Safir Anand and Varun Bahl. The mission of the Fashion Design Council of India is as follows:

a) To be committed to furthering the cause of Indian fashion To endorse and encourage Indian designers to grow their brands in a sustainable fashion, both locally and internationally

b) To coordinate and enhance India Fashion Week and its offshoots, including the official calendar of shows and displays, by bringing together over 100 brands

c) To disseminate information about the Council and the members through FDCI.org and the Council’s social media platforms

d) To study the distribution/reseller network and see how designers can benefit from the network

e) To mobilize resources through government schemes, corporate sponsorships, direct investments, etc.

The Fashion Design Council of India works relentlessly to implement its mission statement. To ensure collaboration across levels, and harmony, the Fashion Design Council of India has worked in collaboration with Textile Ministry and the Commerce & Industry Ministry, Government of India in the past. To encourage global exchange of ideas and to make global the new local. The Fashion Design Council of India has also worked with other countries and organizations to explore, tap and create opportunities for the members of Fashion Design Council of India in India as well as abroad. The collaborations are typically to host fashion- and textile-related events and initiatives, most common being a fashion week. A fashion week is a one-week fashion industry event during which fashion designers, brands, or “houses” present their current collections to buyers and the media in runway fashion shows. These events have an impact on the current and forthcoming seasons’ trends. As a trend setting event primarily, a fashion week is no less than the bread and butter for the whole of the fashion industry. The original objective of fashion week was to exhibit designers’ collections to fashion editors and possible purchasers in order to increase attention or sell pieces for the next season. The essence of the fashion weeks has remained same to this day; the primary goal of fashion weeks around the world is still to generate or expand business. The distinguishing feature that distinguishes the inaugural fashion week from events otherwise, is the use of hitech. A fashion week brings merchants, designers, and consumers together on a single platform and opens its doors to the public. The Fashion Design Council of India is at the helm of conducting 3 such marquee events: bi-annual India Fashion Week (prêt) for Autumn- Winter in March and Spring-Summer in October, as well as India Couture Week, which is the India’s most exclusive and premier fashion event, every July. The Fashion Design Council of India also runs and administers a blog for the benefit of its members and readers in general to provide content for consumption of all masses like. Suffice to say, Fashion Design Council of India of India is aims to take fashion industry to the global standards and be a global trendsetter, while ensuring sustainability of business segment.

1. Brooks A, Fletcher K, Francis R, Rigby E, Roberts T (2017) Fashion, Sustainability, and the Anthropocene. Utopian Studies 28(3): 482-504.
2. Aspers P, Godart F (2013) Sociology of Fashion: Order and Change. Annual Review of Sociology 39: 171-192.
3. Khaire M (2011) The Indian Fashion Industry and Traditional Indian Crafts. The Business History Review 85(2): 345-366.
4. Desai L (2015) What Does India Think? Godement F (Eds.), European Council on Foreign Relations, pp. 23-27.