Fashion

Anuj is a firm believer that patriotism is separate from capitalism, as only robust industry is what will make the nation surge ahead and gain fiscal prominence. Indian brands need to position themselves to create traction in world markets via smart branding techniques.   Anuj Khanna is the quintessential businessman with varied interests. He is an industrialist with extensive interest in the textiles industry. To add to the challenge his keen mind craves, he is also an author, mentor and trainer to multiple businesses. He has helped hundreds of global enterprises to scale up to 3000% times with his tireless guidance.   The cornerstone mantra of the Indian textile market according to Anuj should be the use of cotton made fabrics. The next decade and more will see the dominance of natural fabrics like linen, cotton, flax and bamboo, and that is what will make the industry sustainable.   Mr. Khanna is quite the technology whiz and acknowledges the drastic changes that the recent Covid 19 pandemic has wreaked on the way marketing is handled in the industry. The days of mega trade fairs have been replaced with virtual shows. The normalcy in consumption patterns is still suspect, but green shoots are showing.   There needs to be a consistent focus on not only production, but also branding, sales and marketing. AtmaNirbharta will bloom only when production and consumption go hand in hand. The mindset of the Indian consumer needs to shift as the purchasing power is enhanced as the world adjusts to a new normal.   Anuj is a firm believer that patriotism is separate from capitalism, as only robust industry is what will make the nation surge ahead and gain fiscal prominence. Indian brands need to position themselves to create traction in world markets via smart branding techniques. The clarion call of Vocal for Local can be sustainable only when our brands fill a gap in global fashion.   Anuj perceived a huge gap in the market when he tried to source a book on textile manufacturing. That propelled him into filling the gap by writing the book that provided a solution to knowledge seekers. The book has been a percolation of decades of industry experience and contains 37 key insights that afford a practical approach and a contrarian perspective at the same time.   The major takeaways from the book is that time and money are of essence from the development stage to an actual product. This stands true from both the buyer and seller narrative. The book stresses on harnessing the right partner, and many more pain points of the industry. You have to read it to know it! BNB

India may be modernizing, and a global revolution may be gripping the country, but as people, Indians are still traditionalists at heart, preferring to don ethnic wear on occasions, festivals and weddings- Amitoj Singh Chug & Simran Chug   The growth in the Indian ethnic wear market has been subtle, yet steady. Changing lifestyles, rapid urbanisation and increasing fashion awareness have all led to an incremental growth of the ethnic wear segment over the past few years, with designers reporting a significant rise in demand for ethnic clothing for both men and women.   According to Amitoj Singh Chug, director of Amrit Sarup, M/s Atex Textile Pvt Ltd, “The evolution of the women’s ethnic wear category can be attributed to many growth drivers, the most prominent among them being the rising female population in India and the increase in the female workforce. These factors have translated into a huge opportunity for players in the industry to tap the increasing demand for women’s ethnic wear.   According to Amitoj, ethnic wear is the single biggest category in women’s wear segment with a share of large percent. The huge demand in ethnic wear is not only attributed to festivals but also to the rising trend of pairing traditional pieces with western wear – bringing the Indo-Western trend to both casual and formal wear. Women’s fashion in India has come a long way and in the recent times ethnic fashion has become one of the biggest drivers consist of local tailors to small boutique stores that cater to the ethnic wear industry and has demonstrated steady growth over the past years and is set to grow further over the next decade.”   As he adds further, “We are in the industry since 1950 dealing into unstitched dress material, casual, semi-formal suits. Our unstitched suits & dress material have massive demand in India and abroad. Young girls and women, who are more open to experimenting and like to wear western clothes, they also consider ethnic wear in their special occasion.   “Indians residing in UK, USA, Thailand, Dubai, Bangladesh & Canada love to wear Indian ethnic designs. People often come to our store to order in bulk. Breezy fabric, non -ironing dress materials with traditional prints & embroideries are making inroads in everyday fashion. These combinations make the ladies standout be it at the workplace or at social outings,” says Amitoj.   “Ethnic wear is not just limited to traditional occasions and festive seasons anymore. People are sporting these looks at the airport, for meetings and in parties,” says Simran Chug,   Co-Director, Amrit Sarup. As she adds further however with the modernisation of consumer lifestyles and changing preferences, women’s ethnic wear like the salwar kameez have transformed from their truly ethnic form to a more evolved avatar with different cuts and drapes. The salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses, anarkalis and asymmetric flare kurtis. Today, fusion wear serves as a comfortable yet a stylish option for daily office wear, casual outing and even evening wear”. BNB

BRITASIAN’S VIRTUAL STAR (CONTESTANT NO. 6) I reside in the Uxbridge area of the United Kingdom. I had previously graduated from Brunel with a degree in psychology. My biggest achievement to date has to be being a mother to my 2 kids who are only 13 months apart, managing my workload, blogging and keeping up with my hobbies which include dancing whilst staying motivated has been everything for me. My past goals have mainly been around dancing, whereby me and my sister joined forces to form a business related dance group. From here we got to teach and tour around the UK being part of major shows, featured in several music videos, adverts & we had the amazing opportunity to dance with various Bollywood stars such as Esha Deol, Arjun Rampal, Rani Mukherjee and many more… My future goal is to spend more time blogging and to share awareness on motherhood including going through various types of births like having a c-section so close together. The experience is something all women could face and through a hard time I believe women can support each other and share knowledge in a way that  we all feel connected as at times its very easy to feel alone. (Covid Message) BritAsian’s Virtual Star contest initiated by BritAsian Beauty Pageants (London) in conjunction with BritAsian Events UK Ltd. has really inspired and helped me keep my mind away from the outside tragedies. It has really kept me going through this tough time of motherhood. I feel that it has made me focused other than feeling isolated.

BRITASIAN’S VIRTUAL STAR (CONTESTANT NO. 4) The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning – Oprah Winfrey. I Kanchan Bhutani, graduate and accounting technician by qualification added with a lot of experience from kindergarten industry where I have served as a Director to follow one of my passions to nurture and develop cute little minds. I reside in London and my journey through this has been an enriching experience filled with many such small victories and blissful moments. Energy is always vibrating through this cosmos.  The process of creation begins when you channelize your essence and energies towards something meaningful. My participation in BritAsian’s Virtual Star contest initiated by BritAsian Beauty Pageants (London) in conjunction with BritAsian Events UK Ltd. has given me a platform to utilize my potential in rediscovering my true self. I have been able to connect with myself as a person through this contest and this has given me a new vantage point to embrace this world with a new-found confidence. Secondly, this contest has provided me an opportunity to connect with people across diverse ethnicities and orientations. Amidst this pandemic, connecting with people has provided a healing touch to my mental wellbeing as it has strengthened my belief in social associations and rebonding. An event like this is a panacea to rejuvenate disconnected chords of this situation. I have emerged as a more expressive and cooperative concerned soul after this journey and looking forward to see myself as evolving personality through this pageant. I am thankful to Sakshi for her relentless support and gentle guidance?

BRITASIAN’S VIRTUAL STAR (CONTESTANT NO. 12)  I’m Nadia Mirza-Saadi, a 20 year-old Glaswegian Astrophysics student with heritage from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. I have been a radio presenter on Edinburgh-based Sunoh Radio. I attended the Global Girls Media School in London; the Girls Rock Glasgow School and the Young Curators Lab of the UK Asian Film Festival. I’ve been involved with bringing about social change from a young age and won “The Alstead Award” for Service to the Community. BritAsian’s Virtual Star contestant has helped me get back in touch with old friends and the support for my entry to the contest has been amazing, especially during the lockdown. I started the Instagram #CountMyFollicles hair positivity campaign. The lockdown closed all beauticians. High time to kick-start the campaign and enter the beauty contest, to spread hair positivity! My aim is not to pressure others to keep their hair but to help our beautiful wee girls, especially from BAME communities, feel self-confident rather than being bullied as I was.  

BritAsian’s Virtual Star contest was conceptualised by Sakshi Vishwesh (Dir. BritAsian Events UK Ltd.). In the time of lockdown when everything around was closed and people were strictly advised to stay at home. She visualised a curio idea of motivating all Asians (especially women) across the globe to feel confident about themselves during the time of Covid-19 pandemic, & helping NHS (National Health Service UK) at the same time! In her vision, she was wholeheartedly supported by Mrs. Preeti Puja through her magazine Beauty & The Best, & Mrs. Jasmine Soni from Soni Makeovers, also by Mr. Mir Ali from 199 photos. The contest spread widely & we had contestants participated from India, Scotland and of course London too ! It helped contestants divert their minds from the negativity and encouraged them to feel positive about themselves. BritAsian’s Virtual Star contest made contestants connect globally with others asking for votes & in return to spread awareness about their own initiatives too.