Guwahati is set to host the North East Fashion Fest (NEFF). The event, endorsed by Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan, will give the local talents a chance to promote their craft and boost their business.
North East Fashion Fest (NEFF) — a fashion event initiated by Basics and the home ministry of India that aims to embolden the North East markets by connecting designers with consumers, retailers and sponsors. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) seems to have taken a page out of Bhutan’s book of governance as it sponsors a North East Fashion Fest.
While she is fascinated with the tribal heritage, Soha is also looking forward to visiting the North East India extensively. NEFF marks the celebration of arts, music, culture and fashion of the seven sisters — the seven states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The event will be held in Guwahati from February 20 to 23. The four-day festival, organised by Basics Concepts and Marketing, will start Feb 20 at the Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok in Guwahati, Assam’s main city.
The core value of NEFF is to provide a platform for all contenders within the northeast Indian fashion industry to network and alliance with national and international partners and makers for increase in sales and development of their business.
Soha Ali Khan has been roped in as the festival ambassador, while actresses like Mugdha Godse, Huma Qureshi, Evelyn Sharma and Jiah Khan are expected to walk for the designers during the fashion gala.
Apart from fashion shows, there will be open studios, workshops, lectures, exhibition of fashion and lifestyle products and cultural programmes and activities during the fest.
It is the first time that the MHA has stepped out in the open to concede that it is diversifying into supporting cultural events too. After all, its adversaries the insurgent outfits also carry out “cultural activity” to showcase the politico-cultural issues in India and abroad to further their cause.
A show in Guwahati will be followed by the MHA-empanelled Basics organizing similar events not only in Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi but also in Bangkok and locations across Europe.
