New Delhi, March 22 -- Next week, Lakme Fashion Week, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Reliance, will mark its 25th anniversary with a five-day showcase, starting 26 March, at Mumbai's Jio World Convention Centre. Among the highlights will be AK-OK's opening show, Satya Paul's first collection under the new creative direction of Abraham & Thakore, and presentations by artisans-turned-designers from Gujarat. Perhaps the most awaited of all would be the grand finale on 30 March, featuring several homegrown designers-names have not been made public yet-in a rare show of unity.

When FDCI was established as an industry body of designers in the 1990s, one of its mandates was to provide a platform for Indian ...