Offer a Multilingual Program This is a great place to start. When you’re creating your ceremony, either design and print a version in each language, or offer translations beneath each line for your monolingual guests. Even if you don’t translate the proceedings themselves, this will help your guests feel included and follow along. Translate Your Readings If your ceremony will be entirely in one language, consider offering printed translations of your readings or vows so guests who aren’t fluent can follow along. Ask a friend or family member who is bilingual to help with the translations (instead of using an online translation website) to make sure the nuances are clear in both languages, even if the translation isn’t direct. Consider a Translator Do you have a large number of guests who don’t speak the language your ceremony will be in? Consider hiring a translator to provide a live translation of the proceedings. Look for a local simultaneous translation service (like the translators who work at the United Nations, translating proceedings into delegates’ headsets in real time). They may not advertise wedding services, but these companies offer professional interpreters and can rent you the wireless headsets necessary to allow your monolingual guests to follow along. Keep Readings Concise To avoid boredom or loss of attention from guests who might not understand the proceedings (whether you’re having a monolingual or bilingual ceremony), keep the readings and sections short. Include Both Languages in Your Vows Are you learning the language your partner’s family speaks? Share part of your wedding (the vows, in particular) in both languages. If you’re using traditional vows, repeat them in both of the represented languages. If you’re writing your own vows, you can either read the vows in one language, then the other, or alternate back and forth between each language—offering the full text in both languages in your program. Translate Key Moments Even if your ceremony is monolingual, ask your officiant to translate key moments into both languages. Think “With this ring, I thee wed” and “You may now kiss the bride.” Yes, your guests will see what’s happening, but having those major phrases spoken in both languages will help to make everyone feel included in your celebration.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/bridesmaid-dresses | http://www.marieaustralia.com/cocktail-dresses-australia

A size 10 beauty queen has given up her crown after being told she was “too big” and needed to go on a diet. Zoiey Smale was crowned this year’s Miss UK in June and was due to compete at Miss United Continents in Ecuador next month. But the 28-year-old has since dropped out after allegedly being told she needs to size down, The Independent reports. Smale claimed the Miss United Continents’ UK director told her the other international directors wanted her to “lose as much weight as she could” to be a serious contender. Not only did Smale refuse but she gave up her title and decided to take a break from beauty contests, pledging herself instead to combating body shaming. Smale, who has three national titles, has previously spoken publicly about overcoming an eating disorder when she “put pressure on myself to be as small as possible”. “I was obsessed with weight,” she said, adding the pageants and her fellow contestants helped her “develop a love for myself”. Smale revealed she was asked to submit “every measurement” on her body — which she refused to do because it “went against everything that I stand for". “For a person to tell me to change myself to fit in with a company make me feel sick," she said. “My measurements should be irrelevant. “I can’t represent a company that thinks it’s OK to body shame women because they don’t have the right measurements." While it was a shame to think her hard work had “gone to waste”, the support and overwhelmingly positive reaction from others had made it worthwhile, she said. “After telling people my story and having emails about how I have inspired others, that means more to me than any crown could”.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/cocktail-dresses-australia | http://www.marieaustralia.com/short-formal-dresses-australia

Events and Entertainment presented 'The Indian Wedding Show - Season 2', the biggest wedding exhibition on a Pan Asian level that took place in the capital on the 19th and 20th of August 2017 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. 75 Exhibitor's categories showcased their services to celebrate dreams, happiness, and love-all that are needed for the perfect knot, bringing behemoth spectrum of categories associated with the big day. It was a grand celebration of everything that signifies a big, fat Indian wedding. The two-day event gave prospective to-be brides and grooms, a platform to meet premium Indian designers & industry experts and an opportunity to attend the seminars, panel discussions, quirky workshops, and grooming sessions. Not just that, they also discussed their nuptial ideas, trends, bespoke ensembles to plan their dream wedding at the show. The guests personally witnessed the bridal collections of premium designers: Balance by Rohit Bal, Ashima Leena, Anju Modi, along with a new upcoming designer Aastha Wadhwa who launched her new collection through fashion shows, scheduled on both days of the event. Indian Wedding Show 2017 is at the zenith of the wedding industry, the show, was crafted with the initiative to endorse, strengthen and discover new industry trends and brands along with educating the guests on the current as well as the upcoming variant brands and vendors in the Indian wedding market. It is a grand platform to meet India's finest couturiers, jewellers, wedding planners, entertainment, makeup artists, holiday planners, and caterers, and witness bespoke invitations, wedding venues, hotels wedding decor, etc. The theme for The Indian Wedding Show - Season 2 was splendid with myriad colours, personifying the ambience of the exhibition and the Mandala Theme which was characteristic to the entire event. The Indian Wedding Show, Season - 2 brought back the sacred essence of 'Indian Vedic Weddings' as they associated with the Art of Living, accentuating its grandeur even more. There was a lavish food court where visitors relished the finest flavors of the town's A-list caterers. The event has set a benchmark amongst all other wedding shows held in the country by giving back to the society through an association with Human for Human, an NGO that runs a food bank. The NGO aims to work on different fronts, coordinating with food catering companies to make the best use of the wasted food and directing this to poor and hungry people. Indian Wedding Show - Season 2, aims to bridge the gap between the NGO and the caterers, resorts and prospective wedding hosts that can help in this noble initiative. Speaking on occasion, the Director of IWS Events and Entertainment, Anuraj Antil said, "Our core objective is to bring the entire wedding industry together and procreate the business of weddings in India, bringing in beaming grandeur in the form of luxurious wedding exposition. The exhibitors got an opportunity to explore a B2B and B2C connect with multiple category vendors and participants that associated with The Indian Wedding Show 2017." Adding her comments on the occasion, the CEO of IWS Events and Entertainment, Rashu Rathi, said, "Focusing on the current Indian wedding market and keeping in mind the traditions, ethics, and sentiments of our Indian customers, the show was designed specifically for visitors and guests with a selection of vendors and services that are handpicked to make any wedding a cherished experience." The lineup of participants for the Indian Wedding Show - Season 2 (2017) enlisted premium Indian designers in the likes of Anju Modi, Ashima Leena, Balance by Rohit Bal, Ashtha Wadhwa, Sarotojiva, and Lulu & Sky by Kalyani Chawla. The show also had some of the most renowned jewellery brands on board like Jewel Desire, Jaipur Jewels, Kundan Jewels and bespoke jewellery by designer Dolly Oberoi. The Hair and Makeup partner were Looks Salon. Decor of the event was done by Deco Events (By Saumya), other decor participator were Marigold, R2S Signature Weddings with Genie Events as the Signature Wedding Partner. Skin Care was taken care of by Skin Alive, and Fitness First was the fitness partner. The Premium Caterer F&B and Purple Berry were looking after all the catering needs. The Entertainment partners include Peeyush Rajani and Soulful Raga. In the Gifting category, the show had Label Kiss by Archana Vijaya, Casa Pop by Raseel Gujral and Momentz. The bespoke invitation partner was Indicolour. For styling, they have Bienmode. The Vedic Wedding Partner was The Art of Living and the Exclusive Lounge Partner was Indian Wedding Venue. The radio partner was 91.1 FM Radio City. Aiming to associate with top vendors in all categories, the show had NDTV Good times as the lifestyle partner. The Airline partner was, Indigo Airlines, supported by Kerala Tourism and the key presenter was Rajasthan Tourism. With all such impressive associations, one can only expect the best at the Indian Wedding Show.Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/red-carpet-celebrity-dresses | http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dress-shops-perth

As much as we love the monsoon season, our makeup never remains the same as to what movies depict it to be during a heavy downpour. In fact, keeping makeup intact during this season is a challenge for most of us. But a few tweaks to your daily beauty regime can save you from the horror of a huge makeup failure. Here're a few easy steps that you can follow to look perfect and flawless. Primer our saviour: It does not matter what skin type you have. The one saviour that flattens your skin, makes it easier to apply makeup on and even makes it last longer is the primer. So, after cleansing and toning is done, apply primer and make sure it's a matte finish one, so that it does not make your face look oily. BB cream to the rescue: You wouldn't like your face to look cakey now, would you? So, keep aside that heavy liquid foundation and go in for a more light BB cream, which can give a light and thin look, allowing your skin to breathe during the humid weather. Do not forget to seal it with loose powder to set it well. Ace that natural blush: If you do not want your cheeks to appear messy, leave that powder based blush for the rest of the year, and pick a creamy blush or a lip/cheek stain to give your face that natural flushed look. Basic eyes: Bright colours go well with the monsoon. So, when it comes to your eyes, ace it with some dazzling colours like bright pink, orange etc., and let your eyes do all that talking. Use only waterproof eye makeup basics like your eyeliner, kajal and mascara to keep it from dripping away in the rain. Plump those lips: Make sure you outline your lips before applying your lipstick, so that smudging due to the humidity. And for that lipstick, use matte shades and even dab some loose powder on top so it does not bleed out from the outline. Tie them up: It is not advisable to leave your hair open during the rainy weather, as it can get oily and tangled up mingled up in rain and sweat. The best option is to tie them up in a bun or a high pony. Avoid all-hair gels and hair sprays during this time of the year.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/long-formal-dresses-online | http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-2017-online

Getting married? Designers Rohit Bal, Anju Modi and PAYAL JAIN share what’s trending this season with Angela Paljor Can you remember wedding parties that you attend year after year? Apart from the hazy dinners overflowing with wine and a traditional Indian twist of tandoori chicken and sophisticated salmon, you do recall how the bride and groom looked and what they wore. The Indian Wedding Show 2017, spread over the weekend, gave an insight into the continuity of tradition through modern reinterpretaions. So what are the big trends this wedding season? The heavy lehengas are trimming themselves to become a marriage of functionality, versatility and beauty. Ace designer Rohit Bal, who is known for his sophisticated cuts and breathable fabrics, says, “The wedding fashion industry is seeing a drift from the fully embellished lehengas to more versatile classic pieces that can be used for special occasions over one’s lifetime. Gone are the days when the bride wore a heavy voluminous outfit on her D-day and kept it forever in the back of the cupboard. Today’s brides are beautiful and confident. They know what they exactly want. And they want re-use value.” The Indian bride has come of age and become more adventurous, agrees designer Payal Jain. “She is willing to try silhouettes, colours and concepts out of the conventional Indian bridal repertoire. She loves to experiment with westernised styles, pastel hues, pleating and draping techniques, modern surface ornamentations and detailing,” she says. Designer Anju Modi is weaving in tradition in a new way, retaining elements and accents of heritage – from fabled delicate weaves, to exquisite Mughal flower motifs woven in gold and silver and the quintessential Banaras fabrics. “I like my bride to wear heritage motifs of India. My collection promotes Kashi through woven colourful fabrics that define the city with complementing accessories. Inspired by the city of ethereal holiness and sanctity, bound by the tributaries of Varuna and Asi that lend it its name, Kashi recounts the essence of a land that transcends time.” Elaborating on how brides are being experimental, Bal shares, “Today’s modern Indian bride is fun and experimental. She is confident and doesn’t shy away from trying out colours like charcoal, ox-blood, cobalt and gold. Also pop colours like tangerine, fuschia, rani pink and muted colours in the shades of nude and sandstone look immensely ethereal on the occasions of sangeet and mehendi. It’s more about the celebration of individuality and personal style.” Modi too feels that the colour red has become a cliché meant to be broken. “Brides have started going for yellows, antique and vintage green,” she shares. She celebrates the ethereal essence of Banaras with luminescent colours in her collection. And she has generously used the bird motif. For example, the peacock stands for prosperity and happiness. Traditional bridal colours were always warm shades of red, pink and orange. Jain feels that “today, the palette can be anywhere from pale pastels to cool blues and greens, black, white and monochromes. Colour is no longer a bar for brides or their families.” Keeping a balance between the mid-range couture collections, without substituting the enhanced elegance of his couture collections, Bal’s Balance Festive Winter’17 weaves together elements of understated fashion. The subtle nuances of the collection highlight the intricacies of the embroidery and the use of an array of organic fabrics like muslin, Chanderi, velvets and linen. These are juxtaposed with handwork which are deep-rooted in the culture of the country, including zardozi, ari and block prints. The voluminous jalabiyas in muted tones with intricate gold detailing are the highlight. “Overall, the outfits possess clean and sharp silhouettes with ornate floral motifs and meticulous hand-work which add charm to any event one wears it to.” Talking about how his collection mends the gap between occasional wear and couture wear, Bal says: “The collection comprises toned-down couture wear that astutely imparts a bold contemporary vibe to the bespoke collection. It contains a range of outfits suitable for all bridal occasions like statement peplum tops and skirts, floral anarkalis, intricately carved lehengas in rich fabrics like mulmul, silks and velvets. This collection attempts to preserve the unfailing beauty of the right fabric along with the captivating hand embroidery in an affordable range.” Jain finds designing for bridal couture challenging because she believes her bride is a “global citizen and must have something which brings out the best in her and appeals irrespective to lineage, culture and geography.” Customisation is the key even more as Jain says the line must be created specially for her skin tone, height, hair colour, body structure, jewellery preference and personal fashion sensibility. “Wedding is a huge event for Indians and the bride, being the centre of attraction, needs to be dressed with something that involves extensive designing and intricate detailing with effortless ease,” reveals Modi. And that’s a challenge couturiers are living up to.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-shops-sydney | http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dress-brisbane-online

There are several ways of draping a saree which can make you look different and help you stand out in a crowd. Accessorise it with a waistband or team your saree with a jacket, suggest experts. Tina Narang, design director at Intrika and fashion designer Rebecca Dewan share inputs: *Chantilly lace is used more in saris than any other type owing to their classic, timeless look. It is advisable to go for pastel shades as they enhance the graceful look of a lace saree. * Drape the saree as a lehenga and pallu over a designer crop top. This is a modern look and a unique way of wearing a saree. You can accessorise with a waistband and minimal jewellery. * Invest in a stitched saree. Slip in, zip up and simply pin the pallu as you wish to. It also saves you time. * A cross between the modern gown and traditional saree, a saree gown involves minimal draping and is pre-designed and structured to look like a gown, with a sophisticated pallu flowing across the shoulders gracefully. The look can further be enhanced with embellishments of karigari on the pallu. * Rather than a lace saree, pair a plain saree with a lace jacket. Jackets with embellishments and contrasting colours can give your attire a unique look. * Apart from sarees, lace blouses can add slinky charm to your saree. To get it right, go for a full-sleeve lace blouse or a cut-work blouse especially if you are opting for a fancy bash or then opt for Chinese collars or boat necks for casual outings. * When wearing a lace outfit, the accessories need to be subdued whereas the make-up needs to be distinct and the blouse can be of contrasting colour. Classic colours like black and red are best suited for lace outfits. * Experiment with silhouettes fabrics and make unusual combinations of it like a black Lucknowi saree accentuated with glittery embellishments along with 3D leather flowers and a stringy leather embossed blouse.Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/green-formal-dresses | www.marieaustralia.com/purple-formal-dresses

ROCKMANS, beme, W. Lane and Table Eight are joining forces to open their newest Emporium fashion store at City Centre Plaza. Deputy Mayor councillor Cherie Rutherford will officially open the doors to the powerhouse of brands on Saturday at 9am. Customers will be impressed with the first-class fit out greeting them as they walk into the popular Rockhampton shopping centre. "The new Emporium store spans 275 square metres in a prime location within the centre, offering customers unprecedented choice within one store,” said Victoria Haworth, centre manager of City Centre Plaza. "We're looking forward to a brand-new store which will showcase the Emporium concept to the Rockhampton region. "Having all four brands under one roof is certain to enhance customer experience.” Rockmans business development manager Libby Tojnar said works were progressing well. "We'll be holding a special launch event with national visual merchandiser Kim Howlett and local fashion stylist/blogger Kristen Jones,” Ms Tojnar said. "Kim, Kristen and our entire team will be available to assist customers in finding the perfect outfit.” Noni B Group Ltd, owner of the fashion brands, operates almost 600 retail fashion outlets across Australia. The business employs approximately 2000 staff nationwide.The group's strong focus is on their customers as they aim to provide them with the best quality apparel in the styles they love at the most competitive prices.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses | http://www.marieaustralia.com/evening-dresses-online

It’s pretty obvious just how much things have changed with the advent of the internet. Right now, for example, you’re reading these words on a screen, on the internet. You might even be reading these words – written in Adelaide about Adelaide – in a place other than Adelaide. When we stop and think about how easy it has become to learn and live with the technology we have at hand, we feel a little awe-struck, and, as our business certainly functions because of the internet, very grateful. Another business who has a lot thank for the technology we have in our hands today is Binny – a South Australian fashion label whose headquarters can be found on a farm in the small rural town of Meningie. After establishing the business in 2008 within her share-house bedroom in Sydney’s Tamarama, business owner, Belinda Watson, moved her life and business to outback South Australia. She had previously worked for all-store Myer brands and major independent surf/street brands, but stopped in pursuit of designing for herself. “I had been working in the fashion industry for a long time, starting in sales and then design for streetwear brands. While trawling the world’s finest stores looking at hoodies and bikinis, I would dream of designing product I really loved,” says Belinda. The change from working in Sydney has been a welcome one, Belinda says, with the perks of small town life making for an easier work life, rather than the opposite. “I have found amazing local people. I love the convenience of no traffic and small town life – everyone is so helpful from the post office to the local couriers to people offering to help pack orders,” she says. “I love the freedom to think and need space around me to really be at my best. Walking in the morning with my dogs through flowering native trees with colourful parrots flying overhead is such a world away from the past. The Bondi to Bronte beach walk, although jaw-droppingly beautiful, was always bumper to bumper.” Belinda and her five-person team also have a base in the Adelaide CBD, where they work from two days a week, which she says blends a healthy balance between both worlds. Currently Binny (which is named for Belinda’s own nickname) is sold online and stocked in boutiques across the state.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dress-shops-perth | http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dress-shops-canberra

When three British Vogue editors turn up to work in exactly the same dress — one that has also caught the eye of a handful of Instagram influencers — it’s pretty solid confirmation of a fashion phenomenon. The piece in question, a forest green floral-print ‘40s-style tea dress, priced at a surprisingly cool $120, is just one of the sellout pieces in Ganni’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection. The Danish mid-market label is loved by fashion insiders for its sweet-spot pricing (it’s stocked at both Net-a-Porter and Asos) and playful mash-up of styles, trends and colours. Today, the brand is set to present its Spring/Summer 2018 show in its native Copenhagen, where buyers from some of its 400 wholesale stockists will be paying close attention for a taste of next season’s hero pieces. If the guest list is anything to go by — photographer Tommy Ton, influencer Pernille Teisbaek, Victoria's Secret Angel Caroline Brach, singer Sky Ferreira and musician Blood Orange aka Dev Hynes — you can probably expect to see it on your own social media feeds imminently. Ganni is one of the breakout stars of the Instagram boom of the last decade, but that wasn’t always the case. The company was born in 2000 as a niche cashmere label run by a local Copenhagen gallerist with a sales revenue of less than $1 million from two collections of 25 SKUs. In 2009, husband-and-wife duo Nikolaj and Ditte Reffstrup took control of the brand with a vision to create a new affordable Scandinavian fashion player — not as mass market as H&M — that had the potential to go global. “We took it from scratch,” says CEO Nikolaj, who previously worked in the tech industry developing virtual chatbots. “We sensed there was a vacuum for a brand at an advanced contemporary price point because brands like Acne, Isabel Marant, Helmut Lang and Alexander Wang were slowly starting to hike up prices and reposition themselves as luxury.” Today, Ganni does annual sales revenue of approximately $59 million and the brand’s offering has expanded to four collections per year with up to 300 items each, covering categories including dresses, casualwear, knitwear, shoes and lingerie. Prices range from $50 for a graphic t-shirt to over $1,000 for biker jackets and hand-embellished dresses. The brand will have 22 of its own stores in Scandinavia by the end of this month. Ditte Reffstrup, Ganni’s creative director, who designed for the label before she and her husband acquired the business, wanted to create a brand that reflected the unique mix-and-match style of Copenhagen girls who often wear sneakers with their dresses to ride their bikes around the city. “I kept meeting people who thought Scandinavian design was all about minimalism and androgyny, but I didn’t see myself in that,” she explains of the initial concept. “We have three children and we don’t have a car. Its about an effortless and natural, laid-back style.” Thanks to the couple’s personal connections with Danish models and It girls, as well as their active gifting policy, the brand began to appear in the personal imagery of style influencers well before it became de rigueur to secure tightly-sealed endorsement contracts with bloggers and influencers through official agencies and managers. In 2015, Helena Christensen, herself a Danish export, snapped a selfie with her friend Kate Bosworth for Instagram (both wearing Ganni) and captioned it “#GanniGirls.” “I guess I owe them a beer,” laughs Nikolaj. It quickly caught on and turned into one of the primary engines of the brand’s marketing. Digital influencers such as Pernille Teisbaek and Camille Charrière began ‘gramming their prized pieces, as did Danish models such as Maria Palm, Nadja Bender and Frederikke Sofie (most Danish models return home for the summer, which means they’re available to walk in the Ganni show). “It's tied to this idea of the Copenhagen girl,” adds Nikolaj. Celebrities began to take note. Alexa Chung, Jessica Alba, Alicia Vikanderand Kendall Jenner soon wore the brand, buoying sales. But Ganni’s CEO is careful to stress that social media can be highly unpredictable. A-list celebrity endorsements, for example, sometimes drive no sales at all, “relatively speaking,” he says. “Other times, you can have a girl with 4,000 followers in a regional area in Sweden and she converts to sales extremely well, because she makes so much more sense to her followers,” he says. “It’s interesting trying to identify that pattern.” “We first spotted Ganni through their amazing social media presence,” says Lisa Aiken, fashion director at Net-a-Porter. “We immediately noticed the brand’s unique trend-led aesthetic and knew it was going to be a huge hit.” Aiken says that from the launch of the label’s Autumn/Winter 2016 collection, her team has had to re-order every item it sold because of consumer demand. Since they began working together, Net-a-Porter has grown its Ganni buy by over 300 percent. Wrap and lace dresses, as well as printed t-shirts are some of the top sellers. “It’s now one of our biggest brands in the contemporary designer department,” says Aiken. “Ganni has all of the qualities that we look for; it’s cool, contemporary and offers effortless and easy-to-wear designs [and] Ditte does a fantastic job in designing strong trend-led pieces available at very competitive price points.” Laura Brown, editor-in-chief of the American edition of InStyle, was an early Stateside supporter and provided a major boost to the brand. “I first noticed Ganni three years ago when they sent me a lovely brown sweater with LB monogrammed on the cuff,” she remembers. “I Googled them and found Nadja Bender in their show and the coolest, individual pieces that were so reasonably priced.” Brown’s favourite piece is the leopard print cotton coat. “Julianne Moore complimented me on mine a while ago, and now she has one too,” Brown says. For buyers, the large volume of pieces that Ganni produces means that stockists can differentiate themselves from each other. “The collection itself has enough breadth for buyers to create their own edit, without losing their own brand identity,” says Tiffany Hsu, buying manager of MyTheresa, which is launching a varsity-themed capsule collection from Ganni in October; Net-a-Porter launched a floral-themed Ganni capsule in May. Nikolaj says Ganni is run with the “cultural mind-set” of a tech company and that there is no strict business plan, although that may be an exaggeration. “We just have this idea of where we want to take the brand,” he says. “We use a lot of tech methodologies or tools or concepts like ‘scrums’ and ‘sprints’ and we try to test small and fail fast and all those clichés.” So far, Scandinavia accounts for 45 percent of Ganni’s sales; the UK comes second followed by the US. “It’s a very important step for me to be able to say that we derive most of our business outside of Scandinavia,” says Nikolaj, who adds that growing international sales is the brand’s top priority. “We're seeing the most visitors on social media and on our website from the US, so we've been working with a distributor and the market is doing so well that we are setting up a small office [in] New York.” Nikolaj describes Ganni’s 30 percent year-on-year growth as “multi-dimensional,” meaning that it’s across “new categories and existing categories; existing markets and new markets; direct retail, wholesale and e-commerce.” “We're kind of at a tipping point now where we need to start prioritising and be less ad hoc in our approach to how we apply our resources.”Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/cocktail-dresses-australia | http://www.marieaustralia.com/bridesmaid-dresses

For Sanjay Garg, working in the fashion industry is more of a personal affair than a professional avenue. The textile designer says he is not concerned with how his work relates to current fashion trends, and is also averse to the idea of being perceived as the "the current darling of the fashion world". "I think the best thing to do is for me to continue working in pursuit of my personal goals. I'm not concerned with how that relates to the current fashion circuit," Garg told IANS. Asked if he is reluctant about people calling him "the current darling of the fashion world", the designer said: "I sense I will always be reluctant when it comes to being perceived as 'current' or otherwise and instead prefer to let my work speak for itself." Hailing from Mubarakpur of Uttar Pradesh, Garg carved his way into the fashion world with his minimalistic concept and handloom stories -- all stitched together in his collections. He enrolled to study at the IICD (Indian Institute of Crafts and Design), Jaipur, then went on to hone his skills at NIFT (Delhi). It's been an upward swing for the designer, who founded his label Raw Mango in 2008, had his first fashion show at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive 2014-15 and opened spring-summer edition of Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) 2016. Garg, who has gone global with an exhibition in London, will showcase his aesthetically rich collection at the opening night of LFW Winter/Festive 2017 which will flag off on August 16. "Our Sanjay Garg collection is different from Raw Mango. The former began in 2014 and the latter, in 2008. We've shown at fashion weeks thrice, including this show (opening night of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2017) -- we certainly do not consider ourselves indispensable to fashion weeks." With inclination towards simple motifs, loom-stage innovations on fabrics and eclectic colour palette, Garg has made a reputation of being a textile artist, fashion designer and sari revivalist over time. But have your ideas and influences changed since you came out with the label? "My design philosophy is something I carry within me and is not related to or influenced by my brand's presence," he said. For the show at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter -Festive 2017, his collection will be inspired by intricate chikankari work on Bengal mul, zardozi, handwoven brocade and will bring to life Lakme's beauty statement for the season, Argan Oil-Liquid Gold. It will also be his first collection of embroidery. Talking about the collection, Garg said: "It invokes a celestial spell, bringing winged messengers and unearthly spirits - mythical symbols of hope and guardianship. "Originating in the Awadh region, chikankari is thought to consist of approximately 36 stitches which create works of relief, shadow and drawn thread. Its limited use as a decorative element - at times privately facing the skin - and as daraz, a joinery of two separate pieces of cloth, can be both functional and decorative. The collection revisits chikankari, which traditionally features florals and paisley motifs with a vocabulary that explores new interpretations of its techniques." Garg says his motivations never have to do with a specific technique. "They are from an idea. Whether it is textiles, interiors or embroidery - our approach to design always questions and explores solutions. In this case, it was about questioning the use of chikankari - as most everything seen today is a diluted derivative. Angels' presence in chikankari as a figurative motif is a first, as the florals and geometry prevail. For me, textiles are not only about handloom." Apart from the show at LFW, Garg is working on his collection for 2020. "I am always designing something and thinking of 'what next', given our design process, it takes years to materialise. So, my current moment is closer to 2020," he concluded.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com