Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF) students proved their mettle and creativity in the fifth edition of the ‘Wills Lifestyle Debut Awards’; bagging the top 3 positions in the eagerly awaited annual event that identifies upcoming talents in the highly competitive fashion industry.
Tanya Narula (PAF-Delhi) who vowed the judges with her evocative designs emerged as the overall winner in the competition. Shashank Bhushan Singh, (PAF-Chennai) was in second place, sharing the accolade with a student from another institute, and Pratyush Maurya (PAF, Delhi) was declared the second runner up in the March 16 event.
AKG Nair, Group Director, Pearl Academy of Fashion added, “We are extremely pleased and gratified that out of the 14 finalists from leading fashion design institutes across India, 8 students were from Pearl Academy of Fashion. Seeing our students win the top 3 awards was a very proud moment for all of us and is testament of the creativity and hard work of our students and faculty. ”
According to Nien Siao, HOD Fashion Design , Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi “PAF students showcased really mature, hi-tech designs showing cutting-edge fashion in a very tantalizing and evocative manner. They were worthy winners as each of their collections were truly distinct and a class apart.”
Tanya Narula’s all white collection embellished with gold, which cleverly used laser cuts for a bold, contemporary look, clearly stood out from the competition.
Shashank Bhushan Singh, meanwhile, showcased an all black collection that paid homage to the Indian silhouette making the overall look exotic and mysterious. Pratyush Maurya opted for sporty look targeting urban youth. He induced fun factor by using lots of zips giving his designs an edgy look.
The winners were judged by an eminent panel of representatives from ITC and leading fashion institutes, along with renowned fashion designers from FDCI, who judged them on key parameters like creativity, technicality and commercial viability. The winner will receive their awards at the forthcoming edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Award. The winner will also receive an all expense paid trip to an International Fashion Fair and an opportunity to work with ITC Ltd.
Tanya Narula, who beat 300 participants from leading design colleges, expressed her joy and said, “Debut is a great platform for all aspiring designers. It is an incredible, thrilling and top-of-this-world experience for me. I am really thankful to Pearl for enabling me to be part of such a wonderful platform. It was a mind-blowing moment that will be forever etched in my memory.”
