Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour brought its latest edition to a powerful close in Kolkata, delivering a breakthrough fashion narrative that challenged conventional ideas of craft and design. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Howrah Bridge, the finale transformed the Hooghly River into an immersive runway, where fashion moved beyond tradition and into a bold new future.
In collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India, the showcase featured an experimental collection by designer Anamika Khanna’s AK | OK, with actor Ishaan Khatter as showstopper. The collection dismantled familiar craft techniques such as zardozi, chikankari, and mirror work, reassembling them through futuristic tailoring, metallic elements, and cosmic-inspired graphics, positioning craftsmanship as a living, evolving force rather than a static tradition.
The show unfolded on a barge anchored mid-river, turning it into a floating theatre of fashion. Divers emerged onto the structure as light, smoke, sound, and responsive lasers brought the space alive. Models appeared from within the scaffolding, building momentum as the narrative intensified, culminating in bold chainmail looks and sculptural silhouettes. The finale reached its peak with Ishaan Khatter’s dramatic arrival by speedboat, closing the show against the illuminated Howrah Bridge.
Adding depth to the evening was The Bengal Paddlevessel, which hosted guests within its museum-like interiors before transporting them to the barge. The Riverine Museum inside, featuring rare marine artefacts and installations tracing the Hooghly’s legacy, provided a rich cultural context that complemented the contemporary showcase.
Speaking on the occasion, Pernod Ricard India CMO Debasree Dasgupta said the Kolkata finale embodied the spirit of the tour, reinforcing the idea that heritage and innovation can converge to create transformative fashion experiences. Designer Anamika Khanna described the collaboration as an opportunity to deconstruct and reimagine Indian craftsmanship for the modern world, while Ishaan Khatter noted that the experience resonated with his own instinct to experiment and move beyond the expected. FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi highlighted the collaboration as a celebration of creativity and a marker for the future of Indian fashion.
The Kolkata finale underscored Blenders Pride Fashion Tour’s vision of shaping fashion’s next move, where tradition evolves, innovation leads, and craft finds renewed expression on a global stage.
