Stories
Mijwan Fashion Show Celebrates 15 Years: From Azamgarh to Paris Haute Couture
- •The 15th Mijwan Fashion Show in Mumbai highlights rural empowerment and economic independence for women from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
- •Founded by Kaifi Azmi in 1993, the Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS) provides education and skill-building for women, now led by Shabana Azmi.
- •Manish Malhotra partnered with MWS, integrating traditional chikankari embroidery into his luxury collections, creating sustainable employment for 300 women annually.
- •This collaboration culminated in Malhotra's Paris Haute Couture Week debut, showcasing Mijwan's intricate chikankari work to a global audience.
- •The initiative fosters self-belief, with artisans like Aditi Subedi walking the ramp alongside celebrities, embodying the transformation from craftswoman to fashion spotlight.
Key Questions Answered
The Mijwan Welfare Society was founded in 1993 by the celebrated Urdu poet and activist Kaifi Azmi in his native village of Mijwan, located in the Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.
Manish Malhotra partnered with the Mijwan Welfare Society by adopting the Kaifi Azmi Chikankari Centres and integrating traditional chikankari embroidery into his luxury bridal and high-fashion collections. This collaboration provided around 300 local women with formal training annually, steady employment, equitable wages, and creative dignity.
During his debut at Paris Haute Couture Week, Manish Malhotra showcased a collection titled Chapter I: Cocoon, which featured delicate chikankari work hand-embroidered by artisans from Mijwan. This included a standout couture piece that required nearly eleven months of dedicated handiwork, bringing the craftsmanship of a small UP village to a prestigious global fashion stage.
