The Showcase: room for more designers?

While digital networking skills are important, the jury behind Blenders Pride Fashion Tour’s online talent hunt says originality is what makes the cut

The return has begun — of fashion to runways. Paris Couture Week set the tone, while carefully choreographed events by big names such as Marc Jacobs, who showcased his Fall 2021 ready-to-wear line at the New York Public Library, punctuated this return to live. But would this mean an end to the digital shows that the pandemic ushered in last year? We think not. Especially in India, where fears of a third wave are still strong. This could be a good thing. In the last year, going digital not only helped bridge the gap between big and small brands globally, but also helped emerging designers get more reach for their work. So, when Blenders Pride Fashion Tour announced that The Showcase — the talent hunt for aspiring designers, models, shutterbugs and content creators, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) — was going digital for its second edition, we were curious: would it be different? FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi toes a safe line when he tells me: “We want to create an inclusive platform that will nurture upcoming talent.” But the jury — with the likes of actor Neha Sharma, designer Gaurav Gupta, digital content creator Masoom Minawala, celebrity stylist Shaleena Nathani and fashion photographer Rahul Jhangiani — shows that, perhaps, the thrust will be more rooted in how the online space has changed fashion.