It was a big day for Fashion designer Anjali Phougat as her brand, Designer Dream Collections made a grand debut at the Paris Fashion Week
Reflecting on the momentous occasion, Anjali expressed her excitement saying, “It was a big moment for us. Bringing Indian fashion to Paris was really thrilling and I was eager to showcase our culture through various themes. This collection was part of my Ascension Chapter 1, which I recently launched at New York Fashion Week. For Ascension Chapter 2, we focused on Third Eye Awakening, inspired by the Shivratri festival. We used blue color to symbolize this, and all our dresses and gowns featured third eye embroidery, blending elements of both Eastern and Western styles. I was passionate about sharing our culture, as awakening is a universal concept, not tied to any specific religion. The response to our collection was fantastic. One of the big reasons for this was having a great team, including two female designers. One was from the brand Izwari that specializes in silver handcrafted jewelry and she showcased her work at the event. We also featured Oceana, an Indian brand known for designing clutches.”
Anjali recounted the highlights of the fashion week saying, “I had the opportunity to have the designer’s 73-year-old mother walk the runway—a first in the history of Paris Fashion Week for an Indian designer. Our showstopper was Abhay Verma, accompanied by Payal Mandewalkar who is not only a winner of the Mrs. South Asia World pageant 2021 but also serves as my brand ambassador. Manya Pathak, a well-known TV actor from Zee TV’s Delhi Darlings, opened the show, setting the tone for the audience with her grace and beauty. Even the Getty photographer, who has covered over 300 shows, remarked that ours was truly spectacular. It was a momentous occasion for me and my team. Abhay, a rising Indian film actor, reached out to our model casting team expressing his interest in walking for the Designer Dream Collection. Recognizing his potential, I’m always eager to create opportunities for Indian talent and provide platforms for upcoming stars. Manya, who has previously walked for me at the Cannes Film Festival, also expressed her desire to walk in Paris Fashion Week. With Payal accompanying Abhay, the teamwork contributed to a successful show. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and while I’m thrilled with the success, I’m also taking a moment to let it all sink in.”
