Vedangi Agarwal and Josh Goraya take WIFW SS 14 by Storm

Much anticipated debut show of “Let’s Design” winners Vedangi Agarwal and Josh Goraya took place at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), Sunday.

The hotly contested fashion design competition “Let’s Design” by Cotton Council International (CCI) has become India’s premier design competition and brought cotton to the forefront of fashion. By working with young, up-and-coming designers, CCI strives to showcase cotton in a contemporary context and to reignite a passion for working with cotton among the Indian fashion and textile fraternities.

Absolute devotion to tailoring, cut, detail and the fabric were the hallmarks of Josh Goraya’s collection. Josh’s roots in menswear are apparent in his SS 14 collection “Alter Nature” in which he explores the similarities between men and women by highlighting their differences. The collection uses the full spectrum of cotton fabrics, batiste, organdy, poplin, cambric, voile, sateen, muslin, flannel, chambray, denim, twill, jersey, and canvas. The palette is understated but by no means dull. He combines tones of navy, off-white and grey to create vibrant mosaics with unexpected pops of red to jolt the eye. Masculine silhouettes dominate the collection but in no way lose their feminine appeal. Strong and soft the collection captures the essence of cotton.

Alter Nature SS 14'  By Let's Design Winners Josh Goraya at WIFW SS 2014

“Aurora” by Vegangi Agarwal takes us on a romantic journey. The soft hues of the sun rising give a warm glow to the collection. Vedangi elevates cotton to glamorous heights using cotton sateen, matty, twill and cambric to create stunning drapes, with delicate gold embroidery to add elegance and sophistication. Each garment challenges the notion that cotton is ordinary.  

Aurora SS 14' by Let's Design Winner Designer Vedangi Agarwal @ WIFW  SS 2014

“At Cotton Council International we understand how important it is to nurture young talent in the fashion industry,” commented Agnieszka Fijol, head of consumer marketing in India for CCI. “We are very proud how ‘Let’s Design’ has given young creative talent the platform to shape an Indian version of fashion and design with India’s most traditional fabric. Josh and Vedangi are great advocates for cotton, using high quality fabrics in their collections and we’re delighted to be working with them.”

“Encouragement when you’re emerging onto the fashion scene is vital for new designers. Working with CCI and FDCI has provided us with a fantastic platform to showcase our collections at India Fashion Week and to incorporate high quality cottons into our collections,” said Josh.

“Naturally I’ve always been aware of cotton but working with CCI has opened my eyes to the breadth of possibilities in cotton which has allowed me to grow as a designer,” added Vedangi.

Renowned designer and “Let’s Design” judge Rina Dhaka congratulated the pair on their debut collections. “They should both be very proud,” Rina said. “Both collections showed immense talent and maturity, and a deep understanding of the possibilities of cotton.”

Sunil Sethi, President of FDCI said, “It was a proud moment for FDCI to see the young designers’ passion for cotton translate to design. Josh and Vedangi showed us how the humble cotton can be made fashionable."

“Let’s Design” has created pan-India consumer awareness about cotton. Season five of the show had an estimate visibility of over 300 million people in India. “Let’s Design” social media, including Facebook, Twitter and the “Let’s Design” microsite, also actively engaged consumers, creating over 71 million consumer impressions. The association with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has been integral to reaching out to the general public and in engaging in a constructive dialogue about the future of cotton with the design fraternity.