Avinash Pathania
Avinash Pathania is an Indian entrepreneur and fashion industry professional, best known as the founder of the Indian Federation for Fashion Development (IFFD) and India Runway Week (IRW). He is recognized for his role in promoting emerging designers in India and for organizing the prestigious India Runway Week, one of the largest fashion platforms in India.[1]
Early Life and Education
Pathania is an IT graduate from Dehradun and holds an MBA from New Delhi, India. Before entering the Indian fashion industry, he worked with Planman Media, a media house in India.[2]
Career
In 2012, Avinash Pathania co-founded the Indian Federation for Fashion Development (IFFD) with Kiran Kheva. The organization aims to support and promote emerging fashion designers in India.[3]
In 2013, he launched India Runway Week (IRW), which has become a premier platform for showcasing the work of young and established designers. IRW is recognized as one of the largest fashion events in India, showcasing a diverse range of designs and attracting national and international attention. The event is held biannually in New Delhi.[4]
In 2019, He launched India's first-ever Instagram Fashion Week, a pioneering initiative aimed at making fashion more inclusive. The event featured 35 designers, including veterans like Nikhil Thampi, Siddharth Tytler, Ashima Leena, and Poonam Dubey. It ran from September 12 to 15, 2019, and was celebrated for its innovative approach to showcasing fashion through social media platforms.[5]
In 2023, Avinash Pathania expanded his entrepreneurial ventures by founding Power Brand Canada, a platform dedicated to recognizing excellence in branding across various industries in Canada. He is working on new startup initiatives aimed at promoting Canadian brands globally.[6]
Social Causes
Avinash Pathania has supported several social causes through India Runway Week. Notably, he supported the rights of transgender people by having transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi walk the ramp at India Runway Week.[7] He has also been involved in campaigns to support acid attack victims, with Laxmi Agarwal, a well-known acid attack survivor, walking the ramp as a showstopper.[8]
Digital Platform
Avinash Pathania expanded the reach of India Runway Week by securing a digital platform to showcase the event. The show was made available to a wider audience through the streaming service Zee5, bringing the fashion week to a global stage.[9]
Celebrities and Recognition
Avinash Pathania has worked closely with several prominent celebrities at India Runway Week, including actors like Nushrat Bharucha, Karishma Tanna, Vaani Kapoor, Mika Singh, Mannara Chopra and many others. These celebrities have graced the event as showstoppers, helping raise the profile of the event and attracting wider attention.[10]
In 2018, renowned designer Rohit Bal closed India Runway Week with a traditional wear collection, further adding to the event's prestige.[11]
Personal Life
Avinash Pathania married Kiran Kheva, the co-founder of IFFD, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
References
- ^ The Daily Pioneer (2013-05-10). "India Runway Week 2013".
- ^ "IFFD India Private Limited Profile". Retrieved 2025-02-11.
- ^ "Interview with the directors of IFFD, including Avinash Pathania". 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Photographs from Times of India at IFFD India Runway Week Winter Festive 2017".
- ^ Hindustan Times (September 2019). "India Runway Week: India's first Instagram Fashion Week is here to make fashion inclusive". Hindustan Times.
- ^ MENAFN (2023-09-08). "Power Brand Canada Shines Spotlight On Excellence Across Diverse Industries".
- ^ The Indian Express (2015-03-19). "Transgender rights activist Laxmi walks the ramp at India Runway Week".
- ^ India Today (2014-09-16). "Acid attack victim Laxmi walks the ramp at India Runway Week".
- ^ Zee5. "India Runway Week on Zee5". Retrieved 2025-02-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ The Indian Express (2018-02-10). "India Runway Week: Nushrat Bharucha, Karishma Tanna, Mannara Chopra as showstoppers".
- ^ Fashion Network (2018-09-16). "Rohit Bal closes India Runway Week with ethereal traditional wear collection".
- ^ "Onmanorama article on IFFD guiding fashion startups".