MUMBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is rapidly making steps into the glamour world and has been made brand ambassador of the Kolkata Fashion Week. Although the cricketer will not be able to make it for the show, his best friends from the Indian film industry, John Abraham and Bipasha Basu, will keep the flag flying high. So from 2 April to 5 April, Kolkata will feature its first fashion week.
Known designers like Abhishek Dutta, Manoviraj Khosla, Sharbari Dutta, Anjana Bhargav, Marg Couture, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Bibi Russell ( Bangladesh), Shane & Falguni Peacock, Dev R Nil, Narendra Kumar, Wendell Rodricks, Gauri Nainika, Rohit Bal and Zubair Kirmani will be exhibiting their collections at this first ever north east fashion show.
Dhoni, who is currently playing a test series in New Zealand on his part said, “I am really happy to get associated with the Kolkata Fashion Week. It is a new, brave and a great initiative undertaken by the organizers Mindscapes Maestros. I hope it will be a long term success. And I also hope that my association will benefit the event to a large extent.”
Since the fashion show is going to be held for the first time in Kolkata, Basu was the chosen one. And the actress, who has always believed in the strong Bengali cultural and ethnic values, had said, “I like to be a part of novel concepts and if any effort from my part can prove to be an encouragement for the arts and crafts, then I am all for it.”
Abraham, who is very particular about his association with any product or an event has stepped forward to walk the ramp as the concept is an attempt to revive the dying weaving arts of India. A close friend of the actor said, “John will not be charging any fee for his participation in the Kolkata Fashion Week. He believes that if he can aid an industry in such trying financial times, he will go out and do it. He will be flying out from Hyderabad, where he is shooting for David Dhawan’s Hook Ya Crook for the show.”
Being held for the first time, Mindscapes Maestros director Yudisthir Dutta who has put this fashion extravaganza together said, “2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibre declared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. And that’s why we will be showcasing weaves like Tangail, Baluchari, Gamcha, Garad, Jamdaani, Kantha, Aari and Dhuti. We will have 50 top models of the country walk the ramp over four days, with 5 designers showing their collections each day and two traditional weaves a day. We have also planned for one workshop or interactive session every day. There will be installations and exhibitions and the country’s renowned celebrities on the ramp.”
Noted celebrities are being roped in to walk the ramp. Actors like Chitragandha Singh, Neha Dhupia will be walking the ramp along with celebrities like Baichung Bhutia and Rituparna Ghosh.
