Fans, the press and the stars are gearing up for the upcoming IIFA weekend in Toronto June 23th to the 25th. Along with many movie premieres, and of course the glittering awards ceremony the weekend also showcases fashion and music. The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) today announced that The Bay and top international designers, Sabyasachi, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Vikram Phadnis will be showcasing a collection of their respective work at IIFA Rocks presented by The Bay, a flagship event of the 12th Annual Videocon d2H IIFA Weekend. The high fashion and music event will take place on June 24, 2011 at the Ricoh Coliseum. The IIFA Celebrations in Canada are presented by CIBC and hosted by the Ontario Government.
Beautiful Indian actress Neha Dupia will take to the catwalk in a show-stopping segment highlighting collections from top Canadian designers at The Bay, Canada’s famed fashion destination. Superstar trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform live as models introduce the best in international haute couture and designer fashion.
IIFA also announced that IIFA Award-winning actor, producer and director Karan Johar and effervescent actress and model Anushka Sharma have signed on as co-hosts. Johar will reprise his hosting duties, having hosted the music and fashion extravaganza in 2008 in Bangkok. Sharma made her debut stage performance at the IIFA Awards in Macau in 2009. The announcement was made today, at a press conference in Delhi, attended by venerable actor and longtime IIFA supporter, Anil Kapoor.
“I consider myself a Friend of IIFA and have had many great memories from the different countries we have visited over the last eleven years,” Kapoor said. “Being in Toronto with IIFA recently reinforced the reason why we take our cinema to the world – the pure love from our fans and the acceptance of our onscreen magic. IIFA is truly a unifying force for the film industry, bringing all our friends and colleagues together.”
Sabyasachi, known for his neo-traditional designs has found favour with a host of Indian celebrities including Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherjee. Walking his exquisite creation down the ramp will be Bengali beauty, Bipasha Basu. Delhi based designer, Rajesh Pratap Singh is famous for his clean, sharp designs that combine the global and the traditional to create international designs that retain an unambiguous element of India. Kunal Kapoor and Rahul Khanna are set to be dazzle in pieces from Rajesh’s collection.
A special design segment will be showcased by the Gitanjali Group – “Gitanjali Jewels presents Nizam by Vikram Phadnis”, inspired by the rich traditions of Indian royalty and evoking the opulence of a bygone era. Gitanjali will present a dynamic entertainment featuring the cast of the IIFA World Premiere film, Double Dhamaal, and a live performance by the popular and talented singer, Parthiv Gohil.
“The Bay is proud to represent Canada during IIFA Fashion Rocks as this country’s premier designer fashion destination,” says Suzanne Timmins, Fashion Director for The Bay. “Along with our incredible roster of International Brands we continue to support globally recognized Canadian Designers including Wayne Clark, Arthur Mendonca, Mark Fast, Vawk and Jeremy Laing,”
Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International, said, “As is typical of a land so culturally prosperous, India has a rich reservoir of traditional as well as contemporary fashion. Teaming up Indian designs with some of the most gifted fashion sensibilities in North America, IIFA Rocks will be a night of high couture. IIFA Rocks presented by The Bay is proud to provide an international platform for such talented designers and fashion labels.”
IIFA Rocks presented by The Bay raises funds for the IIFA Foundation, which has been set up by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to support families of the film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of films. This year, IIFA Rocks will also announce the 12th Floriana IIFA Technical Award winners and feature musical performances by top stars and international music artists, including Dia Mirza who last performed at IIFA Bangkok. Mallika Sherawat will also perform on the IIFA Rocks stage.
“As presenting sponsor of the 2011 IIFA Celebrations, CIBC is excited to help bring the creativity and glamour of IIFA Rocks to Canada,” says Raza Hasan, Senior Vice-President at CIBC. “IIFA Rocks gives fans another chance to be part of the magic of the biggest celebration in the city this summer.”
