FDCI celebrates designers at second Couture Hall of Fame

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 31, 2022

On March 30, the Fashion Design Council of India held the second edition if its FDCI Couture Hall of Fame awards ceremony at the Taj Mahal hotel in Delhi bestowed awards upon five names in couture. 

Delhi’s fashion industry came together on Wednesday to a soundtrack of traditional music to celebrate Manish Malhotra, JJ Valaya, Anamika Khanna, and Asha Kochhar and Vidyun Singh, the FDCI announced on Facebook. The FDCI’s awards ceremony follows on from its first edition, which took place before the pandemic in 2019.
 
At the ceremony on Wednesday evening, traditional wear designer, couturier, and entrepreneur Manish Malhotra received his award from the Hindustan Times managing editor for lifestyle, Sonal Kalra. 

“I truly appreciate the recognition given to me by FDCI,” said Malhotra at the event, the Hindustan Times reported. “Getting an award from my own family feels special; it’s been over three decades in the industry. It’s a good feeling always.” 
 
Indian economist and civil servant Montek Singh Ahluwalia awarded couturier JJ Valaya with his trophy. Kolkata-based designer Anamika Khanna received her award from Reliance Brands Limited managing director Darshan Mehta. Neeti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant presented the award to fashion show choreographers and producers Asha Kochhar and Vidyun Singh who run the business Media Makers for their contribution to the Indian fashion industry. 
 
“Fashion designers have been working diligently and have been trying to make their mark in the Indian fashion industry for a long time, and we felt we should honour them,” said FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi at the event.

“People who were awarded the FDCI Couture Hall of Fame Awards for the first time were all designers, although this is the first time that we decided to honour fashion choreographers too.”