I got to be a part of the Myntra Fashion Incubator event at Crowne Plaza, Bangalore recently! It was a day full of fun, glamour, innovation and yes, fashion! Myntra Fashion Incubator, MFI, is a one of a kind initiative by Myntra to boost the growth of the thriving fashion industry in India.
Myntra.com invited applications for this program which would prove to be a launch pad for promising Indian designers. Renowned designers from the fashion industry, experts in the retail industry along with Myntra’s leadership team picked up 30 applications picking the best from the 700! Those chosen 30 displayed their designs and through a rigorous session, and the list was trimmed to 17. Finally 11 lucky winners were announced by the Jury for the first ever MFi program.
The jury of MFI boasts of some of the industry’s most well-known names–Wendell Rodricks, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna and Paras Bairoliya–analyzed each participant’s design concept and announced the best applicants in the evening. Industry officials like Anant Daga, CEO,TCNS Clothing company, Sandeep Mukim, CEO, Proline India Ltd, Simeran Bhasin, CMO, Wildcraft were also part of the jury.
Interesting brand concepts:
About MFi,
As part of the one year Designer In Residence (DIR) Program, Myntra will provide the selected candidates necessary design and work infrastructure, capital support and mentorship from a team of acclaimed designers. The DIR Program would cover essentials like branding, consumer behaviour, product design & development, pricing, inventory planning, retailing and financial planning among others.
The first batch of the incubator program will occupy the design space inside the Myntra campus by 15th January 2015 and work full-time on their brand. MFI will also provide these candidates an opportunity to showcase their brands in various platforms as well as to be retailed on Myntra.com. After completing one season, they can also pitch their fashion designs to MFI advisory board for investments to scale their business.
Participants showing off their collections:
Abhishek Verma, Sr. VP, Myntra Fashion Brands said, “We have been excited about this initiative since day one, and now as this program is brought to life with these finalists, we believe it is going to revolutionise the fashion industry and set a new hallmark.” He further added, “At Myntra, we value and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and therefore with initiatives like MFI, we aim to provide support to young talent and empower them to create sizeable indigenous fashion brands in the long-run. Through this initiative, we will also strengthen our commitment of building original, aspirational brands designed to be at par with latest global trends.”
Final list of MFI Winners (in alphabetical order):
- Anwar Khan by Anwar Khan
- ASA by Shreya Oza
- Ek Karkhana by Preeti Wanchoo
- ex.pression.ist n by Mohammed Javed Khan
- MAD on FAD by Priyanka Kumar
- Metallurgy by Advaeita Mathur
- Picnic by Harleen Kaur
- The Ink Bucket by Vidhi Khandelwal
- The Lokal South Kallection by Darshana Sukumar
- Tortus by Raghav Sethi
- Vaishvik by Rajesh Maratha
Myntra, of late, has strengthened its private brands portfolio and entered into exclusive tie-ups with designer and international brands. The company has furthered its vision to create great fashion experiences for consumers and help them look good with services like the Style Helpline, ‘LookGood’ blog and the ‘Customer Wow’ initiative to name a few.
About Myntra:
Myntra.com is among the leading e-commerce platforms in India for fashion and lifestyle products. Myntra has partnered with over 700 leading fashion and lifestyle brands in the country such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Lee, Levis, Wrangler, Arrow, Jealous 21, Diesel, CAT, Timberland, US Polo, FabIndia, Biba and many more to offer a wide range in latest branded fashion and lifestyle wear. The platform receives over 50 million visits every month and services over 9,000 pin codes across the country. With the largest in-season product catalogue, 100% authentic products, Cash On Delivery and 30-day Exchange/Return policy, Myntra.com is today the preferred shopping destination in India.
I had so much fun meeting with bloggers based in Bangalore and also being a part of a great initiative by Myntra.com