New Delhi, Feb 19: Another chapter of Asia's largest and world's second largest fashion extravaganza takes stage between April 29 and May 5 with the 'homecoming' of the next edition of Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) in Delhi. With 57 designers consenting to participate in the week-long 'business of fashion' event this year, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) organised 'LIFW 2004', marks the most elaborate fashion fest of haute couture in India, second only to the 'New York Fashion Week'. Announcing this at a press conference today, FDCI executive director Vinod Kaul said, ''The Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW) is once again back to Delhi. Once again we commit ourselves to infusing new and fresh talent into the realm of fashion on the Indian horizon while giving the established names a firmer firmament to shine brighter.''
He added, ''This important Business-to-Business (B-2-B) fashion mega event, conceived with the primary objective of creating business relationships and a dialogue between designers, trade buyers and the media, is actually a celebration of coming together of all stakeholders of the Indian fashion industry. We take pride in bringing the event once again back to Delhi.''

Showcasing their Pret (ready-to-wear) and diffusion (line between ready-to-wear and couture) lines in ethnic, indo-western and western categories would be seven first-timers besides the top of the line 50 other names of India's fashion fraternity during the 5th edition of 'LIFW 2004'.
Along with the usual 35 fashion shows, a series of presentations, workshops, inter-active seminars, symposiums and research reports besides exhibition stalls on various facets of fashion, fashion industry and lifestyle would be held ''to inform and educate buyers, investors, corporate houses,'' said Mr Kaul adding ''the whole idea is to serve as an effective platform to promote fashion-design and provide industry professionals with the opportunity to form trade linkages within India and abroad.''
Keeping in line with the international fashion calender, 'LIFW 2004' has been advanced by four months from last year's show. ''This has been done after receving feedback from international buyers to this effect. This now aligns us with the rest of the fashion world,'' said Ravi Krishnan, managing director (South Asia) IMG-TWI, event managers of the show.

While once again cosmetic giant Lakme would be the 'title sponsor' of the event, DHL, liberty, Hyundai motors and Seagram would be its 'co-sponsors'. Also, Sony Entertainment television will be the 'host broadcaster (for the next two years), hotel the grand, Delhi, will be the 'official venue' and radio 'red fm' the 'official radio partner' - the first ever to any fashion event in the world. Bureau Report