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Business dominates Lakme India Fashion Week 2002
MUMBAI: The week long Lakme India Fashion Week 2002 which claims to be India’s largest and most high profile fashion trade event saw 53 designers from eight cities across the country presented their pr?t lines to over 15,000 visitors.
On the business front, over 34 foreign buyers from 17 international companies and 265 buyers from 125 domestic companies participated in Lakme India Fashion Week 2002. This was an increase of over 77 per cent from last year with 40 percent of the buyers visiting for the second time. Buyers from across India and from the USA, UK, UAE and Hong Kong, included names such as Raymond, Ebony, Pyramid, Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Ensemble, Origins, and Madam Butterfly from the domestic market and from the international market Selfridges, Aesthetics, Pegasus Fashion Imports ltd., Variety Silk House. The success of the event is evident from the fact that the participating designers received an average of 14 inquiries from domestic buyers and an average of three inquiries from the foreign buyers.
An official release informs that some of the big buyers such as Selfridges from UK, are expected to place an order of over Rs 2.5 crores across various designers; RCKC, London are expected to place orders worth Rs 1.7 crores; Sanskrit from Dubai for over Rs 18 lakhs. The favoured price points too emerged clearly. As per feedback from the designers and buyers, the largest orders were seen placed around the price points of Rs 2000 and Rs 5000 per garment.
Another significant achievement during the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002, was the unveiling of the trend book by FDCI. The book titled FDCI trendsindia-Winter 2002-2003 will go a long way towards establishing backward linkages with the textile industry as well as promote forward linkages with the distribution and retail sector. Some other highlights of the event include the launch of two new memberships by FDCI – Preliminary and Corporate. FDCI claims to have received more than 100 applications during the week itself.
Visitors at Lakme India fashion Week 2002 were not just exposed to the latest pr?t and diffusion collections of the various designers but also attended seminars and panel discussions. Interactive in nature, these seminars touched upon issues such as development of Pr?t, trend forecasting, design differentiation in apparel brands creation of designer label and evolution of fashion journalism. Among those addressing these seminars were Aniruddha Deshmukh, Executive Director, JK Ansell (Raymond) and the Head of BE, Fazle Naqvi, Director – Marketing and Merchandising, Indus League, Dilip Cherian, Consulting Partner, Perfect Relations, B S Nagesh, CEO, Shoppers Stop, John Singh, Chairman, Anokhi and Gary Newman, Head of Buying, Westside.
To grow the industry and broadbase its appeal, FDCI this year involved fashion design students in various events to provide them with encouragement and learning. This included a fashion quiz contest called Fashion Grill’02 in which students from four fashion design institutes from across Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi participated. The event took place at the Taj Palace Convention Centre in New Delhi.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
