Now Dutch designers join hands with Indian fashion industry

After Japan, now the Dutch fashion industry collaborates with Indian designers for a collection that will debut on the opening day of WIFW Spring Summer 2013, starting Oct 6.

Co-initiated by the FDCI foundation, HTNK Fashion recruitment and consultancy foundation and House of Denim, the programme is titled “Dutch Fashion Here & Now India” (DFH&NI). It will see Indian names Suneet Varma, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna teaming up with Dutch fashion house.

Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India, told IANS that the collaboration boasts of a “unique bonding” between Indian and Dutch fashion entrepreneurs.

He added that the unique part about the association is that “the collection made by designers will not only be seen in Delhi but will go to Holland”. “I think it is very exciting to see two countries associating with each other and making it possible.”

The three-year collaboration will see two designers from the Netherlands working with their two Indian counterparts.

For Harmeet Bajaj, official brand ambassador of DFH&NI, the whole purpose of organising this initiative is to promote culture and tradition of both the countries.

“This was actually a project initiated by the Dutch government almost three years ago. The idea was to promote awareness about Dutch fashion, art, culture and designs in countries like India. It was basically a programme to exchange knowledge and equality,” said Bajaj, one of the known fashion choreographers in the country.

Varma has collborated with Jan Taminiau, one of the leading couturiers from the Netherlands, to present their collection for the upcoming season. Also designer duo Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna has tied up with DIED, a silk and jewellery label.

“I love the idea of collaborating with people. I think we have very similar sensibility, and we can learn from each other. Dutch fashion industry is big on construction and pattern making, and we are big in embellishments and draping and that’s what we would like to share. I think they are very inspired by India and we are very inspired by Europe,” Varma told IANS.

For Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna, though there is no common element between the two nations, they do have one thing in common – their love for fashion.

“Though there is no similarity between their designs and our designs but our love for fashion has brought us together. We would like to take this opportunity as a challenge and create things that were not seen before,” said Khanna.

Marielle Van Miltenberg, head of political affairs and public diplomacy, at the embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, told IANS that the collaboration is one of the examples to intensify the relation between two countries.

“One of the wonderful things about fashion week is that it’s really visible and we want to take this opportunity to show our uniqueness. India fashion is well known in the western world like Bollywood and this is the reason why we are here,” she added.