Warp and weft of women empowerment

Lights off, music on and a smartly turned out youngsters sashay down the ramp in ensembles that define the creativity of students of International Women Polytechnic (IWP), at Hotel Piccadilly, Janakpuri. A perfect example of how colleges have expanded their horizons today to ensure that youngsters get the right platform to showcase their talent.

The evening celebrated IWP’s annual festival ‘Melange-The Blend of Art 2014’ through a fashion show showcasing ethnic, Indo-western and western designs. The evening commenced with the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony and invocations to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati through a vandana by students of IWP Janakpuri branch. The mood soon became more celebratory and energetic as the fashion show began.

Students from all the Delhi-branches of IWP (Janakpuri, Model Town, Gagan Vihar, Lajpat Nagar) showcased their fashion designing abilities. In the first round, IWP students made their entry on the ramp in ethnic wear that portrayed Indian culture and heritage. In the second round, the students came up with a mix of Indo-western and western dresses which was an incredible assortment of designs and colours. Conducted by the students, the fashion show was a real stealer.

The students of the polytechnic showcased a range of garments for which they bought the fabric and did drafting, sketching, stitching, embroidering and finishing, all by themselves. But when they got a chance to showcase their creations on such a platform, their confidence and zeal got a well-deserved boost. In addition, the evening was made memorable by a short play, rock music and dance performance (themed on women empowerment) that acted
as fillers to keep the audiences engaged.

Melange provided the students an open access to professionals in the fashion and lifestyle industry. It also attempted to help students network with industry stalwarts through meet, greet and guidance.

The girls at IWP were exposed to the realities of the industry they are going to venture post-education and advised them on how to navigate their actions for
future. In this regard, Tina Chatwal (Miss India Asia Pacific 2002), Sumiko Murgai Nanda (renowned fashion photographer), Jamal Sheikh (Founder Editor, Men’s Health Magazine) and Ila Kumar Valia (fashion and lifestyle consultant) helped the young girls by mentoring them with their experiences and ideas.

The chief guest,Dr Blossom Kochhar, beauty expert and director of Aroma Magic speaking about the event, said, “Melange is a blend of passion, knowledge and access to information required to navigate in today’s dynamic industry.

The present reality is that many talented students are not getting enough opportunities to present and perform their skills which are required to create ripples in the professional network. Melange is the platform that gives students a thoughtful access to a network of professionals and opportunities to work in industry community. It gives an interactive stage where they can find people who can mentor them for a longer run.”

Vishal Nijhawan, managing director, IWP said, “The need to uplift the status of women in our country has been our prime concern since long. The Polytechnic’s motto has always been to deliver quality education to women of all ages, in any phase of their lives, of all communities, at all levels and to provide information, which is relevant to comprehend and boost their self esteem. Through Mélange, we are trying to impart a crucial value that transforms a woman to a woman of substance, purpose and confidence.”

The extravaganza ended with awards being conferred upon deserving students in each category of the fashion show. Darsheen Kaur, from the Model Town-branch of IWP won the ‘Miss IWP’ title along with other students who were delighted at being feted even as their parents looked on, elated to see their daughters being awarded.