The upcoming Fashion Design Council of India X Lakme Fashion Week will be opened by designer Anamika Khanna who will present her ready-to-wear collection ‘Timeless the World’ on March 16. Khanna is known for her ethnic inspired, bohemian designs.

She will present a ‘phygital’ presentation for the online-offline fashion week. Other designers scheduled to take part include: Pankaj & Nidhi, Bloni, Payal Pratap, and Shantanu & Nikhil, etc.

Khanna’s collection is a collaboration of art and textile and pays homage to the transitory nature of all things. She announced her new venture with Netflix India original series titled ‘Finding Anamika’, starring Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit. The series main character Anamika wears the designer’s creations in the family drama.

Anamika Khanna is an Indian fashion designer who operates from her studio situated in Kolkata.

She has been covered by the Business of Fashion for being the Indian designer who has blended traditional Indian textiles and techniques with Western silhouette.

US sportswear giant Under Armour is planning to appoint a local distributor to manage its India operations. The brand plans to handover local distribution rights to a team led by Tushar Goculdas, the current managing director of Under Armour India.

Under Armour forayed into India through an exclusive online deal with Amazon in 2017. Subsequently, in 2019, the company set up its wholly owned India cash-and-carry business where the country allows 100 per cent overseas ownership, the brand also appointed several local franchisees to operate Under Armour-branded outlets.

The company’s franchisees currently operate 20 Under Armour outlets in the National Capital Region, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Chandigarh, among other cities.

Companies are taking such steps as they are grappling with Covid-induced issues in their home markets, analysts said. Brands are exiting their subsidiaries in India to save money and to focus on or to rebuild in their bread-and-butter home markets, they said.

The pandemic has also led to a change of India partnerships for a host of global brands including Gap Inc, New Balance, Promod and Guess among other international labels.

Designer JJ Valaya shared that though he plans to invite corporate investment in his business, currently he remains committed to its internal expansion.

The brand recently launched its latest collection for spring/ summer 2021 titled ‘Bursa – Chapter Two’ to follow on from its autumn/ winter 2020 collection ‘Bursa’, the brand announced on Facebook. The collection launched at the brand’s newly relocated flagship store in Aerocity and is also available to view by WhatsApp appointment, as digital shopping consultations continue in the wake of Covid-19.

The collection launched with a campaign shot at the Tijara Fort Palace in Rajasthan and designs are inspired by the brand’s aesthetic of the ‘royal nomad’. Notable looks include ombré embellished lehengas and gowns featuring botanical motifs.

A noted Indian fashion designer and couturier from New Delhi, India, JJ Valaya founded the House of Valaya, a luxury fashion and lifestyle house in 1992, He is the founding member of Fashion Design Council of India and the first global brand ambassador of Crystal giant Swarovski.

Valayahas been designing for men and women, and has bridal and evening collections in addition to day-wear and ready-to-wear for over 20 years. As a fine art photographer, he released his first book, Decoded Paradox in 2011, in the same year as he also closed the day one of the Lakme Fashion Week winter/festive 2011, debuting a fashion collection inspired by photography.

Multi-brand retailer Amethyst will hold a showcase for women’s wear designer Sunita Shanker for her spring/ summer 2021 collection ‘The Balmy Clusters’ at its store in Chennai from March 8 to 2 . Part of Shanker’s Secret Garden series, Balmy Clusters features a color palette of greens, blues, and whites designed to have a calming effect, the brand announced in a press release. The collection’s range of tunics, kurtas, tops, shirts, dresses, wrap tops, trousers, cropped pants, and stoles and scarves will be available to Chennai’s shoppers from Monday.

The collection is made from a range of handloom textiles including cotton and linen, silk and cotton, and Mangalgiri cotton, as well as Chanderi. Prices range from Rs 5,000 ($68.72) to Rs 16,000. The collection was designed to meet the sustainable livelihoods of the communities engaged in their crafts during the pandemic: the urban communities comprising of pattern makers, cutters, karigars (tailors), embroiderers and checkers.

Amethyst has held a number of designer showcases at its store at Royapettah, Chennai. The boutique held a showcase for Raw Mango’s latest womenswear collection ‘Moomal’ from February 9 to 11.

After selling 51 per cent stake of his eponymous brand to Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, Sabyasachi Mukherjee plans to open his first US store in New York next year. Mukherjee plans to open a 6,000 sq ft retail space in early 2022. The store will house Mukherjee’s opulent traditional and fusion wear as well as his swiftly expanding accessories line.

As 35 per cent of the brand’s customers are based in the US, Mukherjee will join a select group of Indian designers including Anita Dongre who have stores in the metropolis. The opening of this store coincides with Mukherjee’s launch of his second collection at New York luxury department store from February 18. The collection includes 250 pieces of apparel, jewelry, and accessories exclusive to the US market.

The brand also plans to open a jewelry store in the Middle East as it continues to expand and develop its fine jewelry line. It currently retails its fine jewelry on an appointment basis in India.

Century Rayon has released its first audit report, with environmental not-for-profit organization, Canopy, and third-party auditor, Preferred by Nature (NEPCon).

The audit found that while the majority of Century Rayon’s suppliers are low risk of sourcing from priority ancient and endangered forests and other controversial sources, additional verification is required to determine risk levels for one remaining supplier. As per Textile Value Chain, the supplier verification will be conducted in the first half of 2021, pending the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. While the Century Rayon facility that produces viscose filament yarn (VFY) is managed by Aditya Birla, it is independently owned by Century Textiles & Industries, with a dedicated ranking for Century now appearing in the 2020 Hot Button Ranking, according to Canopy.

The audit shows the company has adopted a wood sourcing policy, has communicated it to suppliers, and has created internal capacity responsible for policy implementation. Century Rayon has started to implement an action plan to increase the use of cellulosic fiber made from alternative fibre sources, and is working to bring products containing these fibers to commercial scale in 2021.

Century Rayon’s fiber supply chain cannot yet be fully confirmed at low risk of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests and other controversial sources, due to an additional audit being required of one supplier that is located near an important area for biodiversity, Canopy said.

Moving forward, Canopy recommends that Century Rayon work with Preferred by Nature to determine risk for the remaining supplier where risk levels have not yet been confirmed. It also recommends that Canopy should adopt ambitious public targets and timelines for increasing the use of next generation alternative fibers in a commercially competitive way. Century Rayon should establish internal systems to monitor policy implementation in addition to FSC-certification and other certification systems.

Leading value fashion retail chain V-Bazaar has expanded its operations by adding the grocery segment to its portfolio. The company expects this to boost revenues by 15 per cent. It has been witnessing sales decline due to the pandemic. It generated revenues worth Rs 220 crore ($31.1 million) during the last fiscal year.

V-Bazaar has a strong retail presence with 72 stores spread across Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal and plans to add around 60-65 more stores by end of this year. The retailer offers more than 60,000 products from across men’s, women, and kids apparel. One of the fastest growing value retail formats in India, V-Bazaar is a top clothing brand in India, and is India’s fastest growing premium lifestyle company. With innovative designs, concepts and products, the company brings the latest trends in fashion and clothing styles to the apparel market.

Women’s wear designer Aseem Kapoor showcased his latest Spring/Summer 2021 collection ‘Sleti Vasant’ at the multi-brand luxury Indian fashion retailer Ogaan’s New Delhi store.

The collection features a warm color palette of ochre, rust, magenta, and pistachio green. The fusion style embellished blazers are paired with maxi-skirts. The shawls, tunics, and fluid kaftans give a relaxed feel to the detailed patterns and textures while the ombre dyed textiles add a touch of resort wear to the collection.

Kapoor also launched the collection at multi-brand luxury boutique Ensemble in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai and DLF Emperior, New Delhi. The designer launched his eponymous brand last year after working for couturier Tarun Tahiliani for 15 years as head design. His first collection ‘Sleti’ for autumn/ winter 2020 blended fusion wear silhouettes with rich hues and heritage embellishments.

According to Workers Rights Consortium findings cited by Vox, major apparel brands owe their supplier factories $22 billion. The impact of this shortfall has trickled down to some of the world’s most vulnerable workers, employed by such factories throughout the developing world, who lost jobs overnight, often with no severance.

The underlying problem goes back to the early days of the pandemic, when a shuttered retail sector caused major apparel makers to retrench, canceling or delaying orders as supply chains practically froze in place. And to be sure, the garment industry — which employs an estimated 40 million workers worldwide, Vox notes — is a while from full recovery.

But some brands have bounced back. And an activist outcry led companies such as H&M and Inditex (owner of Zara) to pay for completed orders. Still, the Workers Rights Consortium calls out brands from American Eagle to Kohl’s to Oscar de la Renta as having announced no plans to make good on orders canceled in production.