Shahab Durazi at Couture Week

The third edition of the HDIL India Couture Week will have a special name on the list of participating fashion designers — Shahab Durazi, a Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) alumnus.

The third edition of the HDIL India Couture Week will have a special name on the list of participating fashion designers — Shahab Durazi. The reticent designer, who has never been part of any fashion week in India so far, will present the grand finale of the couture week, to be held between October 6 and 10 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai.



Durazi, a Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) alumnus, is well known for his unique detailing in his impeccable creations. His conscious effort to stay away from the glare of the media comes from this belief — "let my work speak for itself". He hasn’t had a showing in the last five years and had remained in the background ever since he started his design career in 1989.



"I am a very private person and the media has always respected that. Whenever I had a show, the media appreciated it and, at the same time, let me be myself when it came to my privacy," he says.

For that very reason, his finale presentation will be one of the most looked-forward-to shows in India’s fashion industry and a coup of sorts, for the Couture Week.



"I wanted to show only when I had something worthy of presenting on the ramp, in terms of a collection. Besides, we never had a couture week that could accommodate my collection until three years ago," he says. "So, when it started I decided to see how it shapes up and then in its second year, my friend Sampada Inamdar suggested that I be part of it."



Durazi will be showing a collection that is cohesive in nature, as he feels that "there has to be a connection between one garment and the other; that brings a flow through the collection. My collection is all about intricacy and fine detailing," he says, adding,



"Contrary to perceptions, a couture collection doesn’t have to be dramatic and ostentatious. It’s all about structures, detailing and making the garment unique in a way that it speaks for itself."

The other designers taking part in the event are Manish Malhotra, Monisha Jaising; couture Jewellery Show by Queenie Singh, Raj Mahtani, Maheep Kapoor, Karan Johar and Varun Bahl, Ayesha Depala, Rohit Bal, Rina Dhaka; couture for a cause — Being Human Show where actor Salman Khan raised funds for charity with his actor friends and Arjun Khanna.

This event, started as India’s first couture week three years ago, has gained much recognition from the industry. It has now become one of the most keenly observed events in the industry.