Star Gazing

The first segment saw 16 models sashay down the ramp. After that a galaxy of stars — both celebrities and social change makers,who had steered the NGO’s efforts in rural Maharashtra in different spheres — took over the runway. While Screwvala and managing trustee Zarina Mehta took the lead,they were followed by filmmakers such as Kiran Rao,Abhishek Kapoor,Anurag Basu,Ashutosh Gowariker and Farah Khan. Several actors too walked the ramp. Jeetendra made an appearance with daughter Ekta Kapoor; Arbaaz Khan with wife Malaika Arora and son Arhaan while television star Ram Kapoor was accompanied by Sakshi Tanwar. Juhi Chawla and Ayushmann Khurrana too walked the ramp. Cheering them on were Vidya Balan with husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor and Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh.

The clothes on display spoke the language of hope with colours of the sun — such as red,maroon,orange and mustard — and neutrals like beige,cream and gold serving as the palette for Phadnis. The silhouettes ranged from saris and lehengas to flowing cowl-neck salwars,anarkalis,kurtas,waistcoats and dupattas. It was interesting to see the designer move away from heavy bling and replace it with dull gold brocades on linen and voile with touches of gota work.

Phadnis noted that after visiting Mahad,Mhsala and Poladpur blocks in Raigad district (Swades Foundation has worked extensively in these pockets),he was amazed by achievements of the village community despite their limited resources. Their success,in turn,proved to be a strong inspiration. The idea behind his show then was to highlight their stories through fashion. “Rural India is often typecast; but I wish that this small effort of ours goes a long way in creating awareness about the need for their empowerment,” he said,after the show. The clothes are slated to be auctioned at a later stage and the proceeds will go towards the Swades Foundation.