Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour 2022, Powered by FDCI, Kicks-off with its First Show of the Year in Kolkata

Bhubaneswar: The 16th edition of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour, powered by Fashion Design Council of India,kicked off with its first show in Kolkata, at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Ace designers Shantnu and Nikhil, together with Harmanpreet Kaur, the Captain of Indian Women’s National Cricket team, brought alive the concept of ‘Pride in Bringing Twists in Traditions’ by unveiling a magnificent collection called ‘Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club’ from their blockbuster bridge-to-luxury brand ‘S&N by Shantnu Nikhil’that captured the spirit of our most beloved game, Cricket.Closing the show as showstoppers were none other than the dapper Rajkummar Rao and ever-elegant Patralekhaa, both making a statement in easygoing genteel style!
‘Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club (SNCC)’ is built on India’s passion for cricket and the lifestyle promise of superstar cricketers of today. Sports has always been a strong virtue of the S&N design philosophy, and to create a unique cricket collection that brought twists to traditional cricket-inspired fashion wear, the designer duo collaborated with Harmanpreet Kaur, a modern-day cricket icon.
The fashion show was a celebration of the vibrant & evolving expressions of ‘Pride & Authenticity’ of the youth of India. SNCC has been created for the younger, fashion-forward generation of today. Harmanpreet Kaur herself being part of the new generation of cricketers who score centuries and feature in ad campaigns with equal aplomb, further uplifted the youthful spirit of the evening. The contemporary lineup on show was dedicated to preserving the nostalgic and yet stylistic hallmarks of cricket, on a canvas of season friendly fabrics like flat knit and premium silks. Crisp athletic-chic inspired details that bring together style with function were a key highlight. From essential sartorial pieces like the genteel retro-doused varsity jackets, suave crested sweatshirts, sweater vests, classic and yet elevated cropped polos to classic accessories – neckerchiefs, sneakers, bucket hats, belts; SNCC infiltrated the evening with a vision of easygoing everyday dressing and a jolt of youthful swagger!
Talking about the show, designer Nikhil Mehra shared,“Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club is a long-awaited dream, inspired by our love for cricket and a vision to connect the sport to lifestyle promise. The building foundation of our childhood revolved around playing various sports, excelling in most of them. Since sport as a medium has had an incredible impact on how we carved our journey and has been one of the stronger virtues of our design philosophy, we are proud to present a fashion vocabulary which speaks the language of spunky, young urban India merged with a powerful sporting culture, as we offer a new aesthetic”.
Adding to this, designer Shantnu Mehra said, “It’s been an exciting journey to be a part of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour. The format of the Fashion Tour is entirely new this year, and we were very excited to come together with Harmanpreet Kaur, a cricket star herself, to launch our new cricket-inspired collection. Our show in Kolkata, a city with a historic connect with cricket,is an ode to the unwavering spirit of cricket, and its influence on the lifestyle of today’s generation.”
Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur commented, “Fashion for me, has always been a reflection of my personality. And I’mproud to collaborate with the exceptionally talented Shantnu and Nikhil, for their cricket-inspired collection that showcases twists in traditional sportswear. This is also the first time I have stepped into the world of fashion, and I’m thrilled to take this step with Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour, which is an iconic name in fashion & lifestyle.”
Speaking on the occasion, Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, said, “The 16th edition of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour is all about embracing the changing dynamics of the fashion & lifestyle industry, bringing an impressive new format that’s more inclusive, diverse and youthful. The Kolkata show, in partnership with FDCI, was all about celebrating the confluence of fashion with cricket,where designers Shantnu and Nikhil came together with iconic cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur.”
Talking about the new avatar of the Fashion Tour, Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI, said, “This partnership is a fitting way to showcase our drive to reshape and reimagine the evolving face of fashion in India.” As curator-in-chief of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour 2022, ace designer Ashish Soni said, “For its 16th edition, Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour is truly expanding its horizons and going beyond the ordinary. We’ve added exciting new elements, including designer and artist collaborations, a one-of-its-kind Style Gallery and the Fashion Tour Park metaverse, all of which bring to life a fashion experience like never before.”