Mumbai: The second Lakme India Fashion week was held in Mumbai between 6th and 12th of August. This time arround the WTI – IFAW "Say No To Shahtoosh Campaign was centerstage from day one. Ritu Kumar opened the fashion week with models Pooja Batra, Ruby Bhatia and Maheshwari Thyagarjan modelling shahtoosh alternatives. exclusively for WTI. The ramp show managed to bring under the spotlight a campaign that has over the past two years gained momentum in spreading the message in Delhi and now Mumbai.
The WTI stall at the fashion show was frequented by several celebrities and wealthy fashion conscious of Mumbai who had come in to the fashion weeks. Ceolebs who came in and endorsed the campaign by signing on to a scroll include, Hrithik Roshan, Jaya Bachan, Dilip Tahil, Preiti Zinta, Aditi Gowitrikar, Ruby Bhatia, Pooja Batra, Maheshwari Thiagarajan, Rahul Dev, Milind Soman, Dolly Thakore, Vijay Mallya, Amish Patel, Kareena Kapoor etc.
At two specially organised seminars, WTI espoused the cause of the chiru and alternatives to shahtoosh. At the first seminar WTI-IFAW footage was screened to more than 50 wealthy women who were invited by hostess Arti Surendranath to especially to carry the message to the potential shahtoosh wearing fraternity in Mumbai. At the second seminar fashion divas Ritu Kuamr and Gitanjalai Kashyap presented a range of shatoosh alternatives. These are basically high end pashmina shawls that do not necessitate the killing of chiru and still gives the wearer a fashion accessory. Both seminars and WTI’s stall were adequately covered by the press including a story in Femina and at least four insertions in Mumbai’s largest selling daily the Times of India.
