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<ul><li><keyword id="432026" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lakm-Fashion-Week">Lakmé Fashion Week</keyword> recently concluded its digital-first, season fluid edition. </li><li>For the first time since its inception, audiences were able to stream the shows live between October 21-25 on a high-tech virtual platform, LFW Hub, that was specially created for the event.</li><li><keyword id="2178278" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaspreet-Chandok">Jaspreet Chandok</keyword>, Head – Lifestyle Businesses, <keyword id="176407" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IMG-Reliance">IMG Reliance</keyword> tells us how they pulled off the event virtually and how brands benefitted from associating with LFW this year.</li></ul>Despite the pandemic, Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) recently concluded its 2020 edition, and this year saw the festival go virtual. Over the years, LFW has become an aspirational platform that gives fashion brands an opportunity to showcase their offerings, while also giving them visibility. This year, the virtual event was held between October 21 and 25. Audiences were able to stream the shows live on a high-tech virtual platform, LFW Hub that had been specially created for the event. And despite the event going virtual, there were ample brand activations. Moreover, the property saw its reach increase by around 40%. We recently caught up with Jaspreet Chandok, Head – Lifestyle Businesses, IMG Reliance to understand how they were able to pull off this mega-event virtually and how brands benefitted from associating with LFW this year. Excerpts: Q) Considering LFW was done virtually this year, how different was the overall edition? LFW as a platform has always endeavored to support the designers and their businesses, which we felt was an important industry input even in these challenging times. With this digital-first edition, we were able to create a captive space that replicated the elements of an on-ground LFW event. We called it the LFW Virtual Hub, an interactive digital destination that was customized to the needs of all kinds of the audience tuning in. To enjoy different views of the showcase, we created different vantage points that gave the viewers access to different camera angles of the show resulting in an immersive experience. Another highlight was the Virtual Showroom that allowed fashion buyers to interface directly with designers for B2B buying. We also strategically chose these dates to collide with the festive season as sales are generally higher in the season. All these factors combined helped us garner greater digital reach as well as help support designer businesses. Overall, it was a challenging yet fulfilling experience with this edition. Q) Every year brand partnerships mean brands get a lot of visibility during LFW. Were brands able to get that kind of visibility this year? We’ve shared a longstanding relationship with all our sponsors, and we have aimed to bring to the fore unique solutions and innovations for them every season in order to get the right visibility. In the recently concluded, digital edition too, we brought about different innovations to give the audiences new experiences. A couple of those were: - During every show, the virtual hub had a shop the look feature, that gave viewers Lakmé product recommendations while watching the showcases, enabling them to purchase the products immediately after the show. There was also a virtual make-up trial page where people could look at different shades of makeup on themselves. - With NEXA, the Hub featured a 3D version of the all-new <keyword id="10304886" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="nexa-s-cross">NEXA S Cross</keyword> car. When a viewer clicked on it, they could see the entire journey of LFW and NEXA since 2017. - <keyword id="3421090" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajio">AJIO</keyword> showcased their new Sneakerhood store with the entire show shot green screen and viewers got to add styles from that show to their AJIO wishlist which could be purchased post the show ended. - We were also able to create designer partnerships for sustainable fibre manufacturers R-Elan and Bemberg which were highlighted through a strong influencer campaign as well as the traditional fashion showcase. We feel it's important to constantly innovate with sponsors especially our longstanding partners, so they keep investing in us. Q) Can you give us a sense of whether the number of brands associating this year increased, decreased, or remained the same? We made a strategic call to focus on our longstanding sponsors like NEXA, TRESemmé, AJIO, INIFD, Natural Diamond Council so that we could focus on delivering strong value to them. LFW’s digital edition was live-streamed on multiple platforms in addition to Voot &amp; JioTV this season. Over 40 influencers were used to push the digital experience. In these times, with global fashion weeks experiencing a 40% decline in digital numbers, LFW has had a 30-40% increase in terms of overall reach. Q) What were the challenges of organizing a virtual version of an event that has become such an awaited property every year? While a large cross-section of the universe is now quite tech-savvy, any new medium requires some time before people embrace the platform. The industry itself is struggling and we felt that the investments need to be made in actions that genuinely assist the industry. This first season is seeing a lot of experimentation as designers are trying out different ways to build businesses through our platforms. Audience and consumer feedback will define what we take forward and build on. Another challenge was the safety of all the talent involved in our shoots on-ground. We created perhaps the most aggressive bubble for a shoot/event in India with a mandatory 7-day quarantine and 7 tests over 12 days for each individual onsite. Q) What kind of engagement did brands witness? We have received a very positive response from all our partners with most already discussing activations in the coming season. A key action due to paucity of on-ground actions has been the ability to leverage our event for partners to create content their brands for the next few months. Our digital engagements are up 30-40% for each of the brands and some innovations have helped them generate buzz in PR as well. Q) What were your major learnings from hosting LFW virtually this year? Going virtual was a conscious call taken to be able to widen our horizons within the fashion industry and technology today has helped us with that to a much larger extent. We’ve learnt that a virtual experience doesn’t completely replace the experience of a physical show. The audience loves to engage in the runway experience, and we will hopefully see more phygital showcases once things start getting back to normal. However, even when we return to a physical event, all these elements will become companion actions adding to the overall product offering to consumers. We are very happy to get constructive feedback from all our stakeholders as we see this season as a pilot and will continue to develop our initiatives.

How Lakme Fashion Week managed to increase its reach by 40% despite going virtual this year

<ul><li>At 8:30 am, SGX Nifty was up by 50 points, or 0.37%. </li><li>Here’s a list of stocks to watch for in trade today. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Indian stock markets could extend their gains on Monday after the Nifty crossed the 13,700 level on Thursday last week. At 8:30 am, SGX Nifty was up by 50 points, or 0.37%, suggesting that the Indian stock exchanges could have a positive start to the day. With the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/trump-signs-bipartisan-coronavirus-relief-bill-after-calling-on-congress-to-approve-2000-stimulus-checks/articleshow/79984320.cms">Trump administration signing the $2,000 stimulus relief cheques</a> with bipartisan support, the US stock exchanges could bounce back. These are the stocks to watch out for during the trading session today: Reliance Industries Reliance Industries is all set to buy IMG Worldwide’s 50% stake in IMG-Reliance for ₹52.08 crore in a cash deal. IMG is a global sports, events, and talent management company. <keyword id="45383" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coal-India">Coal India</keyword> The Maharatna public sector undertaking Coal India’s board has approved the company’s entry into aluminum and solar power sectors. Special purpose vehicles will be created in this regard. <keyword id="46698" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lupin">Lupin</keyword> Lupin has received tentative approval from the US FDA for the generic version of Jublia solution. This solution is a prescription for treating toenail fungus. <keyword id="6362997" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="dlf">DLF</keyword> DLF Cyber City will acquire the stake of its partner Hines in One Horizon Center for ₹780 crore. The One Horizon Center is a 25-storied building located in Gurugram, Haryana. <keyword id="1350" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Niit">NIIT</keyword> NIIT’s board has approved a share buyback proposal. Accordingly, the company will buyback shares worth ₹237 crore at a price of ₹240 per equity share. This is a premium of 20% compared to the closing price of ₹200.40 on December 24. Reliance Capital The troubled Reliance Capital has announced that it has defaulted on term loans from HDFC and Axis Bank. <keyword id="6362804" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cadila">Cadila</keyword> Healthcare Zydus Cadila Healthcare has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D was found to be safe, well-tolerated during the Phase I and II clinical trials. It is now planning to begin Phase III trials with 30,000 volunteers after obtaining the required approvals. <keyword id="51758" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dish-TV">Dish TV</keyword> Dish TV has received a demand notice from the government for the payment of license fee and interest to the tune of ₹4,164 crore. <keyword id="28423" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vedanta">Vedanta</keyword> Vedanta’s parent company, Vedanta Resources has increased its stake in the Indian unit to 55.11% by acquiring shares worth almost ₹3,000 crore from the open market. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/trump-signs-bipartisan-coronavirus-relief-bill-after-calling-on-congress-to-approve-2000-stimulus-checks/articleshow/79984320.cms">Trump signs bipartisan coronavirus relief bill after calling on Congress to approve $2,000 stimulus checks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/new-fiscal-support-will-set-up-an-economic-boom-in-the-second-half-of-2021-evercore-analysts-say/articleshow/79978963.cms">New fiscal support will set up an economic boom in the second half of 2021, Evercore analysts say</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/insiders-cash-out-via-ipos-as-investor-optimism-becomes-excessive-ndr-says/articleshow/79968643.cms">Insiders cash out via IPOs as investor optimism becomes excessive, NDR says</a>

Top stocks to watch – RIL, Coal India, Lupin, DLF, NIIT, Reliance Capital, Cadila Health, Dish TV, Vedanta, and others

The telecom department will most likely reject the demand raised by <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword> for a financial package to bail out the debt burdened telecom sector. However, it can extend a helping hand to the industry in terms of other reliefs like extended tenures for spectrum payments etc. As per officials from the Department of Telecommunications (<keyword id="16054" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="DoT">DoT</keyword>), meetings with carriers including <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, Vodafone India, <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword>, Aircel, <keyword id="6359475" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tata-Teleservices">Tata Teleservices</keyword> and Reliance Communications have been held over the past two weeks regarding the issue of debts in the telecom sector. DoT officials are trying to understand what all financial troubles telcos have been going through before they enter into a formal meeting with the inter-ministerial group (IMG) that the cabinet secretary has set up to begin on June 12. "The first formal meeting of the IMG is yet to take place and the issues of the telecom sector will be taken up at that forum," a source told <a href="http://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/policy/government-rules-out-top-up-for-telcos-but-ready-to-lend-them-a-helping-hand/articleshow/58952616.cms">ET</a>. The IMG consists of four members from DoT and one each from the departments of economic affairs, revenue and finance. After holding meetings, the group is required to submit its recommendations to the central government within three months.

Slap from one hand, pat from another! Govt refuses financial help for telcos but extends helping hand

<ul><li>RIL’s annual general meetings have been labelled ‘carnivals’ by market experts due to huge attendance.</li><li>The company has been acquiring many companies across sectors, above and beyond the many interests it already holds.</li><li>Here are some of the questions that investors can ask the chairman at the <keyword id="45644" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="agm" source="Orion">AGM</keyword> about the future course of the conglomerate. </li></ul>It’s been decades since <keyword id="6418409" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="dhirubhai-ambani" source="Orion">Dhirubhai Ambani</keyword> famously said that a phone call should be cheaper than a postcard. No one writes postcards anymore. But <keyword id="10924" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ambani" source="Orion">Ambani</keyword> generations are still experimenting with newer and newer ways to bring people ‘closer’. During the first pandemic year, Isha and Akash Ambani conversed in their 2D and 3D avatars via a holographic call at the company’s 41st annual general meeting; showcasing their futuristic product – <keyword id="9579590" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jio-glass" source="Orion">Jio Glass</keyword>. The twins kept two important traditions alive – announcing the next-big thing of the group’s ever expanding interests; and of course the dazzle factor of AGMs. The celeb factor In 2019, <keyword id="3820" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mukesh-ambani" source="Orion">Mukesh Ambani</keyword> connected to Alphabet CEO Satya Nadella after he announced a deal with Google. Two years later, he ‘welcomed’ Saudi Aramco’s chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan onto the board. The $15 billion deal with the oil major was cancelled a few months later over valuation mismatch. Yet the optics around the ‘big announcements’ have worked so well that most of the time, RIL stock tends to appreciate ahead of an AGM. Especially since 2016, when telecom’s soft launch kicked off, it never did die down. Most of them also center around technologies of tomorrow – be it shopping via VR or retail going online. The range and depth of Relianceverse It’s not just metaverse or virtual reality that the group is banking on – the sheer number of acquisitions and interest that it has in startups has turned its interests into a mini Relianceverse. While they have acquired interests in over 20 companies since 2019. The ticket size of these acquisitions range from $2 million to $200 million from Sankhya Sutra Labs to Dunzo, respectively. The companies belong to niche specializations – from fluid dynamics software simulation software VR imaging to ERP and SaaS companies, e-commerce companies, creative home solutions to AI powered learning platforms. The latest acquisitions however pertain to lithium and sodium battery solutions as the group ventures into green hydrogen. According to a Bank of America research report, the historical M&amp;As show a pattern – they all were done to add value or fill gaps in RIL’s consumer offerings where management believed it was difficult to build in-house. “All investments fall under five categories– telecom, retail, education, healthcare, and agriculture. A new category of clean-energy was added in 2020-21 where further investments were made with an intention of getting access to clean-tech,” the report said. This BoFA rule however exceptions – the luxury hotel of Mandarin Oriental in New York for $98 million, UK based hotel StokePark for $79 million, SkyTran a clean tech podcar transport system based in the US, and also a smaller acquisition of IMG Reliance, an event management company for $7 million. This is the part that investors seek clarity from the management and the best way to do it is the annual general meeting that’s to be held on August 29, 2022. Questions to be asked Reliance AGMs are blessed with a large and wide attendance, making market watcher S P Tulsian once call it a ‘carnival’. While most people come to get a glimpse of India’s richest family members and some others entertain with shayaris, investors also need to do what AGMs are there for — to ask questions about the direction of the business and the value its creating. Currently, RIL is an oil to telecom to retail to new energy business that’s being driven in different directions. Here are some of the questions that can be answered at the AGM. <ol><li>Why are we acquiring so many companies across business and are we getting into hotels and lifestyle business, especially in international markets? </li><li><keyword id="8508699" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jio-mart" source="Orion">Jio Mart</keyword> is nowhere close to Amazon, Flipkart or even startups like Swiggy Instamart. When can we expect a possible sync with Dunzo and become a serious e-commerce player?? </li><li>Reliance JioTV and JioFibre were launched with the promise of first show movies, but Voot and JioTV are nowhere close to Hotstar, Prime or Netflix. Will the $3 billion IPL media rights be a game changer? </li><li>We paid nearly $11 billion for 5G spectrum, when can we expect the payoff? And, when will we reach the 500 million subscriber target? </li><li>Reliance has plans for green hydrogen, biogas and solar PV manufacturing, which are capital intensive. When can we expect a demerger or fund raising? </li><li>The IPO market has become feeble due to international market conditions. Will that delay the demerger and listing of retail and telecom businesses? </li><li>Akash Ambani has been elevated as the head of telecom business. Is there a complete succession plan in place? </li></ol>SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/gautam-adanis-overly-ambitious-growth-plans-can-spiral-into-a-massive-debt-trap-fitch/articleshow/93725014.cms">Gautam Adani’s overly ambitious growth plans can spiral into a massive debt trap: Fitch</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/research/news/drdo-has-developed-a-facial-recognition-system-that-claims-to-see-through-masks-and-disguise/articleshow/93726351.cms">DRDO has developed a facial recognition system that claims to see through masks and disguise</a>

What should investors ask Mukesh Ambani at his company’s AGM?

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IMF&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">International Monetary Fund</a> (IMF) has lowered <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+economy&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">growth projection for India</a> from 7.6% to 6.6% due to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=demonetisation&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">demonetisation</a>. 
 The IMF said due to the "temporary negative consumption shock" of <keyword id="3315394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="demonetisation">demonetisation</keyword>, it had cut growth projection. The report comes days after the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=world+bank&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">World Bank </a>also cut India's growth estimates. 
 
"In India, the growth forecast for the current (2016-17) and next fiscal year were trimmed by one percentage point and 0.4 percentage point, respectively, primarily due to the temporary negative consumption shock induced by cash shortages and payment disruptions associated with the recent and exchange initiative," the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) update released today. 
 
The IMF said that after a lacklustre outturn in 2016, economic activity is projected to pick up pace in 2017 and 2018, especially in emerging market and developing economies. 
 
The global growth for 2016 is now estimated at 3.1 per cent, in line with the October 2016 forecast. 
 
As per new IMF projections, India's growth in 2016 is now estimated to be 6.6 per cent as against 7.6 per cent earlier forecast. 
 
In 2017, IMF has projected a growth rate of 7.2 per cent as against its previous forecast of 7.6 per cent. 
 The <keyword id="6356076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-economy">Indian economy</keyword> is likely to revive to go back to its previously estimated growth rate of 7.7 per cent in 2018, according to the WEO update. 
 The cut in India's growth rates comes days after the <keyword id="6354424" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Bank">World Bank</keyword> decelerated India's GDP growth for 2016-17 fiscal to 7 per cent from its previous estimate of 7.6 per cent citing the impact of demonetisation. But forecast issued on January 11 said that India would regain momentum in the following years with a growth of 7.6 per cent and 7.8 per cent due to a reform initiatives. 
 
Despite IMF's downward revision of India's growth rate and a slight upward revision of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=china+economy&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">China's growth projections,</a> India continues to be the fastest growing countries among emerging economies. 
 
But in 2016, China with 6.7 per cent has edged past India (6.6) with 0.1 percentage point. 
 
The growth forecast for 2017 was revised up for China (to 6.5 per cent, 0.3 percentage point above the October forecast) on expectations of continued policy support, the IMF said. India's growth rate in 2017 as per the latest IMG projections is 7.2 per cent. 
 
In 2018, China's growth rate is projected to be 6 per cent against India's 7.7 per cent. 
 
IMF said, in China, continued reliance on policy stimulus measures, with rapid expansion of credit and slow progress in addressing corporate debt, especially in hardening the budget constraints of state-owned enterprises, raises the risk of a sharper slowdown or a disruptive adjustment. 
 
These risks can be exacerbated by capital outflow pressures especially in a more unsettled external environment, the IMF said. 
 
IMF said global activity could accelerate more strongly if policy stimulus turns out to be larger than currently projected in the US or China. 
 
Notable negative risks to activity include a possible shift toward inward-looking policy platforms and protectionism, a sharper than expected tightening in global financial conditions that could interact with balance sheet weaknesses in parts of the euro area and in some emerging market economies, increased geopolitical tensions, and a more severe slowdown in China, it said. 
 
Maurice Obstfeld, Economic Counsellor and IMF Research Department Director, at a news conference here, said among emerging economies, China remains a major driver of world economic developments. 
 
"Our China growth upgrade for 2017 is a key factor underpinning the coming year's expected faster global recovery. This change reflects an expectation of continuing policy support; but a sharp or disruptive slowdown in the future remains a risk given continuing rapid credit expansion, impaired corporate debts, and persistent government support for inefficient state-owned firms," he said.

IMF cuts India’s growth rate from 7.6% to 6.6% due to demonetisation ‘shock’; upgrades China’s growth forecast

The <keyword id="1910227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Super-League">Indian Super League</keyword>, India’s very own football league is going to start from October 12th, and as the nation gears up for the first football league, here is what you should know about it. 
 
Bringing Indian football out of hibernation 
The Indian Super league was founded in 2013 after seeing that many Indians are crazy about football craze, but sadly, have no national football league to follow. The Indian Super League aims to turn the table. 
 
It would function like Twenty20 cricket IPL and will comprise eight franchise teams, owned from people and companies across the country. The league will commence in October and end in December. 
 
Slugging it out 
Eight teams that will compete in this league are as follows: 
 
· Atlético de Kolkata, coached by Antonio López Habas, with Spain as the foreign draft. 
· Chennai Titans, coached by Marco Materazzi with Italy as the foreign draft. 
· Delhi Dynamos FC, coached by Harm van Veldhoven with Netherlands as the foreign draft. 
· FC Goa, coached by Fatorda Stadium Zico with Brazil as the foreign draft. 
· Kerala Blasters FC, coached by David James with England as the foreign draft. 
· Mumbai City FC, coached by Peter Reid with England as the foreign draft. 
· North East United FC, coached by Ricki Herbert with New Zealand as the foreign draft. 
· FC Pune City, coached by Franco Colomba with Italy as the foreign draft. 
 
Who’s who in the <keyword id="244888" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Isl">ISL</keyword> The league is owned by Reliance Industries Ltd, Star India Pvt. Ltd. and IMG Worldwide Inc. It would be broadcast exclusively on STAR Sports and will have Hero MotoCorp as the title sponsor; thus the name <keyword id="2430942" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hero-Indian-Super-League">Hero Indian Super League</keyword>. From Bollywood, we have John Abraham who co-owns the team North East United FC, Ranbir Kapoor who co-owns the team Mumbai City FC, Abhishek Bachchan who co-owns Chennai Titans, Salman Khan who co-owns FC Pune City, and Varun Dhawan who is the brand ambassador of FC Goa. From the field of Indian Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar is the co-owner of Kerala Blasters FC and Sourav Ganguly is the co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata. 
 
Rules of the game 
Every year, the league would be played between October and December. Each team will play against all other teams twice on a home-and-away basis, almost like the Pro Kabaddi League. The top four teams will qualify for the finals. 
 
While building their teams, each team will have to sign: 
· At least seven foreigners, out of which two will be from the club and five will be from the foreign player draft; 
· One marquee player, which in the words of AIFF is "A foreign recruit who has represented his country in any of the continental championships like the European Championship, Copa America, African Nations Cup, Asian Cup, or FIFA World Cup will be called a marquee player;" and 
· 14 Indian domestic players, four of which have to be local players from the city the team belongs to. 
 
Stake money 
Team owners’ investments in the ISL are worth having a look. Different teams have shelled out crores to buy foreign players—the date is given below: 
 
Goa: Rs 2.46 crore 
Chennai Titans: Rs 2.34 crore 
Atletico de Kolkata: Rs 2.17 crore 
Mumbai City: Rs 2.10 crore 
Kerala Blasters: Rs 1.98 crore 
Pune City: Rs 1.75 crore 
Delhi Dynamos: Rs 1.62 crore 
North East United: Rs 1.62 crore 
 
With people from Bollwood and Indian Cricket taking up various roles in this league, be it owners or promoters, the league is surely going to be one gala event to watch out for.

Indian Super League: What It's All About?

"Am I too fat for your everyday range? Should I just accept that accessible and affordable high street and on-trend fashion isn't for people like me?” – that’s what UK citizen Ruth Clemens wrote to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bengaluru-to-have-its-first-HM-store-this-month/articleshow/51345033.cms">H&amp;M</a>, complaining how she couldn't fit into the brand’s size 16 jeans. 
 
Last June, the social media was taken by storm when Clemens posted on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/PHOTOS-Inside-Facebook-Indias-gorgeous-Mumbai-headquarters/articleshow/52464061.cms">Facebook</a> tagging H&amp;M, "I am not overweight (not that that should matter) and although I'm 5 foot 11 my body is pretty average shape-wise. It's already difficult enough for me to find clothes that fit well because of my height, why are you making jeans that are unrealistically small?" 
 
The Facebook post had received over 77,000 likes and over 10,000 shares. 
 H&amp;M responded to Clemens’ claim and assured her that they would “take on board the points” she and other customers had brought to their notice. While we do not have any update on what happened at H&amp;M later, we definitely know what’s happening this Sunday at the <keyword id="2938" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lakme-Fashion-Week">Lakme Fashion Week</keyword> Winter/Festive 2016 in Mumbai.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Plus-Size-Industry-Is-On-The-Verge-Of-A-Revolution/articleshow/37102882.cms"> Also read: Plus Size industry is on the verge of revolution</a> 
 <keyword id="3615812" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="all-the-plus-size-store">aLL: The Plus Size Store</keyword> had host the first ever <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Plus-Size-Industry-Is-On-The-Verge-Of-A-Revolution/articleshow/37102882.cms">plus-size show</a> for men and women styled by designer Shilpa Chavan of Little Shilpa. The creations showcased on runways are meant for the everyday consumers who seek high-fashion designer-wear but are often restricted by available size options. Keeping this in mind, aLL had collaborated with Lakmé Fashion Week to break thought patterns, by presenting a unique collection this season. 
 In an <keyword id="6370284" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Exclusive">exclusive</keyword> interview with Business Insider, Manish Aziz, Business Head of aLL, clears the air that roughly $17.5 billion industry of <keyword id="3615811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="plus-size-fashion">plus size fashion</keyword> needs to be taken seriously. Here are the excerpts from the interview. 
 
How did the concept of <keyword id="115546" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Plus-Size">plus size</keyword> people walking the ramp come about? 
Over the years, the fashion industry was dominated with conversations of ‘size zero’ subsequently resulting in becoming the societal norm around the world. However, reality speaks quite differently. A majority of the world’s population does not fit a precise mould and has people in all shapes and sizes who just want to look stylish and trendy. aLL – The Plus Size Store was the first to identify this sentiment over a decade ago and begun altering the face of plus-size fashion in India. A show at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Amazon-to-take-on-rivals-by-launching-its-own-fashion-label/articleshow/46214680.cms">Lakme Fashion Week</a> just seemed like a natural progression for us to initiate a fashion revolution of sorts and redefine preconceived notions of physical beauty. 
 
Don’t you think this should have begun a long time ago in India? 
Absolutely and that’s why we were the first ones to begin our efforts to bring about this change since the brand’s inception in 2005. Unfortunately, altering the mindset of people governed by societal norms and pressures is not an easy and nippy process. I’m glad to see though those notions are gradually changing. And as they say, ‘better late than never’. 
 
Will plus size stay a special segment in Indian fashion scenario or will it become a mainstream trend as well? 
I think it definitely needs to become a mainstream trend. A large portion of not just the Indian but global population has fuller figures so it seems quite archaic to segregate them as a special segment. Fashion doesn’t come with a rulebook and is perceived the way it is defined by the industry’s influencers. I think it is a collective responsibility of the entire global fashion industry to actively promote this movement until there is no distinction in fashion based on people’s size and shape. 
 
Body shaming in India is nothing new. How would the much talked about show on LFW fare? 
Since our announcement of this show, we have received nothing but positive reviews, support and accolades. It’s a bold move and the audience seemed so receptive to the concept and positively excited for the upcoming event. There is enthusiasm and fervor among of people which I think will effect change in mindsets in our country going forward. All-in-all, I have a really good feeling about the show and I’m eager so finally see all our hard work coming to fruition. 
 
At LFW, it’s brand above the models. What would make general brands make clothes for larger men and women? 
The sheer demand! Indian bodies have always been beautifully voluptuous so I don’t see how you can escape from catering to all body shapes and sizes. 
 
 
 
On what bases have the models been selected for LFW? 
We were instantly drawn to those who exuded confidence and attitude as they took to the ramp. We wanted people with vibrant personalities and an innate sense of personal style that would shine onstage. All the chosen boys and girls have their own unique characteristics that make them relatable and yet stand out. 
 
What were some of the contentions and don’ts the organizers brought up while you were conversing with them? 
On the contrary, IMG <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/BREAKING-NEWS-Mukesh-Ambani-speaks-on-Reliance-Jio-hear-it-here/articleshow/53956833.cms">Reliance</a> and Lakme were tremendously supportive of the initiative. Our approach was greeted with a lot of positivity and they were on-board with the idea from the get-go. 
 
When you were choosing the men and women who would walk the ramp for this segment, what were the few key things you were telling them to encourage them, since most of these people would have been dealing with body issues given the societal norms. 
It’s not about the way you look or the size and shape your body is, it’s about the way you carry yourself and your personality that really matters. What you think of yourself is of utmost importance as that’s the basis that defines what people think of you. Hold your head high since you have nothing to be apologetic about. You’re perfect the way you are and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. 
 
(Image: Facebook)

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