The International focus was in Toronto on the weekend of June 24th, where all of Bollywood’s biggest stars got together for their industry’s biggest night. But while Toronto may have had the biggest spotlight shown on it over the weekend, it was not the only place where South Asians were putting on a show.
Enter Chicago. Enter Chicago Global Runway (CGR).
From the same group that brought you 2010’s debut Chicago South Asian Film Festival, CGR looks to put Chicago on the forefront of the next generation’s fashion scene. Set in the beautiful Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center, the event was hosted by rising star Sachin Bhatia (of the Curry Smugglers brand) & Sheetal Bhagat (of Masterchef fame.)
The red carpet was hosted by the other half of the Curry Smugglers’ Paresh Gajria along with current Masterchef contestant, Suzy Singh.
Top designers such as AKIRA, PAYAL SINGHAL, and Chicago’s very own SAHAR DADA were there to showcase their latest styles for the audience. The red carpet before the event provided the designers with the opportunity to tell us what’s next and relay their excitement for fashion being brought to the Second City.
At the conclusion of the event, a gala took place where members of the audience along with various sponsors and organizers of the event were given appetizers (which were absolutely delicious I might add) along with drinks provided by Hypnotic.
CGR’s festivities was not all just on that Friday night however. The following day, CGR hosted a “Sip’n’Shop” where attendees from the fashion show the night before were allowed to browse some of the outfits that were on the runway and speak directly to the designers themselves. It was a wonderful opportunity for fans to get an opportunity to have an intimate conversation with their favorite designers.
The event was also attached to a good cause. CGR joined forces with SAVE A MOTHER charity in hopes to bring in more attention to reviving India’s maternal and infant mortality rate.
Introducing Chicago into the fashion world scene, all the while bringing forth attention to a problem that needs to be addressed is what made Chicago Global Runway a runaway success in its debut performance.
Check out our exclusive pictures from the event!
Photo credit: Ravee Joshi
