It's neon colours this season

It was a treat for Delhiites when Thank God For Design (TGFD) brought 40 independent Indian labels / designers from different parts of India to showcase the best of their designs in accessories, art and lifestyle items, sarees, bags, shoes, home décor items, stoles, jackets, suits, dress materials, homemade chocolates and more. The two-day extravaganza which was held recently at Aga Khan Hall, was the first-of-its-kind showcase.

The event was a unique platform for young and talented designers who need the exposure that such events provide. Supreet Raju, a director of Thank God For Design and an NIFT alumnus was all smiles because her debut effort had been a roaring success. “The sale has been really good. On Sunday last, it was a stampede like situation and even on Monday we got lots of customers and queries. This has given a great boost to the participating designers. This is what we wanted.

The products were also reasonably priced or people would not have turned up. Our sole motive was to attract people so as to let them know that these designers exist.”

When it came to latest trends, it would appear that neons tones are in vogue. One found suits, bags of various hues and sizes, earrings and necklaces in neon shades too.  But the stall that really caught the fancy of customer was one selling boxers. You read that right. Dirty Laundry as it was politely called, was selling boxers like hot cakes. 

Well, you get the drift! Business head Mayank Jain had this secret to share on the success of his stall: “All the things that we have here bear original thought. The prints and ideas are totally original. Basically, our products are about fun and colour,” Understandably, he barely controlled his smiles at the responses of his customers. 

Another best selling item that was lapped up real quick was home made chocolates. “We have had everyone - from children to adults who have purchased from us.” The ones that really flew off the shelves were the rose-shaped and elephant-shaped ones,” said Harshita Periwal of Chocolate Haven.

TGFD indeed was a celebration of designers, their ideas and creative innovations. The designers also felt that such exposure in the competitive market would have been extremely difficult given the inadequate resources for advertising. According to Supreet, “People believe in multi-brand stores and foreign labels which have shifted the focus from quality and innovation to just plain pricey fashion.”

The idea has successfully brought Indian designers closer to their audiences and made the shoppers understand the heart, soul and effort that goes into creating an original product from scratch.