MUMBAI, India — On Friday, a group of India’s most influential figures in fashion, culture and design gathered in Mumbai for an intimate dinner and cocktail, hosted by The Business of Fashion’s founder and CEO, Imran Amed, and Desirée Bollier, chair and global chief merchant of The Bicester Collection.
“I was always interested in what India could represent for the fashion world globally, and knew that this country had something very special to offer. Now, everyone is interested in India. Wherever in the world I go, executives and industry professionals are curious about what’s happening here,” said Imran Amed as he welcomed guests.
“People started asking me, ‘When will India have its moment?’ about 20 years ago. Today, India is having a really important moment. You can feel that this is an inflection point,” he added, underscoring the purpose of bringing the BoF community together in India at this pivotal and exciting time.
“India is more than a growing market — it’s a rich and evolving story of luxury, aspiration and culture, and we are proud to be a part of this remarkable journey,” said Bollier. “This evening is more than just a celebration — it’s an opportunity to bring together visionary minds from fashion, business and the arts to recognise India’s growing influence and spark meaningful conversations about its dynamic future.”
Members of the BoF community flew in from all over India and beyond to mark the occasion. Actors Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Ananya Panday, Khushi Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Vedang Raina, Diana Penty, Anasuya Sengupta, Shahana Goswami and Ishaan Khatter, mixed with models Lakshmi Menon, Avanti Nagrath, Ujjwala Raut and Saffron Vadher, and renowned designers Tarun Tahiliani, Manish Malhotra, Anamika Khanna, Anita Dongre, Sanjay Garg, Amit Aggarwal and Rina Singh.
Top creatives Bharat Sikka, Anaita Shroff Adajania, Bandana Tewari, Shilpa Gupta and Rajiv Saini mingled with global BoF 500 members Suzy Menkes, Linda Fargo and Geoffroy van Raemdonck. Attendees shared their optimism for the future of Indian fashion, unanimous in their agreement of the promising road ahead.
“India is finally taking inspiration from India itself rather than looking at the West. That, combined with our resilient economy and sharp understanding of luxury, makes us a bullet proof destination,” said designer and actor Masaba Gupta.
“This movement is a culmination of the shared vision and efforts of many across culture, art, couture, fashion and craft,” added Karishma Swali, managing director and creative director of Chanakya International and the Chanakya School of Craft.
Guests mingled into the wee hours over Don Julio cocktails inspired by Indian botanical rituals, specially conceived for the evening by global creative studio, The Herball.
“The fashion world has been very slow to imagine what is going on in this country, but I have always believed that India has a lot to offer,” concluded fashion doyenne Suzy Menkes.
BoF’s Mumbai dinner was made possible in part by our partner The Bicester Collection. Special thanks to Rani Pink, Morena House, Don Julio, The Herbal, Penfolds and Sage and Saffron.
This is a sponsored feature paid for by The Bicester Collection as part of a BoF partnership.
