The winner of the third edition of Vogue India Fashion Fund, in association with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and supported by Van Heusen, Tigre Blanc and Micromax, was announced today at a grand finale atThe Dirty Martini at Olive Qutub, Delhi.

Ruchika Sachdeva (BODICE) was selected as the winner from the top 20 who were shortlisted after a nationwide hunt spanning over several months. Ragini Ahuja (ikai) and Rixi Bhatia & Jayesh Sachdev (Quirk Box) were selected as the first and second runner-up respectively. The jury selected them from the 5 finalists that included Hemant & Nandita and Karishma Shahani Khan [Ka] [Sha].

The Vogue India Fashion Fund 2014 panel includes the Vogue India team of Editor-Priya Tanna, Fashion Director-Anaita Shroff Adajania, Fashion Features Director-Bandana Tewariand Marketing Director, Condé Nast India-Oona Dhabhar,along with President of FDCI-Sunil Sethi, Executive Director Ensemble- Tina Tahiliani Parikh, Chairperson Aza Fashions – Alka Nishar and renowned fashion designers Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Suneet Varma.

Guests at the event included AD Singh, Kalyani Chawla, Niamat Bakshi, Priya Sachdev, Rahul Khanna, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Gandhi, Tarun Tahiliani among others. Commenting on the evolution of the Vogue India Fashion Fund, Priya Tanna, Editor, Vogue India, said, “The third edition of Vogue India Fashion Fund has uncovered some great design talent once again. For me, the entire process of mentoring these sparkling design minds and helping them realise their unique aesthetic is very rewarding. It’s narrowing down to a winner that is the tough task; nevertheless Ruchika Sachdeva was a unanimous choice among the judges. We love the simplicity, elegance and minimalism she showcases and the manner in which she plays with contradictions. We are proud to helm an initiative that nurtures talent of her calibre.”

Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India said,“For me, the Vogue India Fashion Fund is the best platform for young designers. The experience of going through the judging rounds has been exciting and it shows that India is a hub of exceptional design talent. Vogue India Fashion Fund gives a gifted designer like Ruchika Sachdeva, an immediate opportunity to showcase her work to a wider audience. I wish all these young designers the very best.”

Ruchika Sachdeva was chosen after rigorous judging rounds which involved creating and showcasing three of her most recent creations along with a business plan that justified her winning the prize money at the Vogue India Fashion Fund 2014. 

Ruchika Sachdeva will be featured in Vogue India and will be receiving a grand cash prize of INR 25 lakhs. She also gets a chance to commercialize a collection with Van Heusen, gain exclusive access to prominent platforms in the industry, mentorship from Vogue,  PR support and media coverage and a year-long business/creative/marketing mentorship with an industry professional.

Ruchika Sachdeva’s Bodice plays with ideas of modernity, while working with indigenous materials, to pioneer a refined aesthetic. Striving to challenge preconceived notions of Indian fashion, Bodice advocates an understated yet individual approach. This formula has yielded a recognisable identity, offering covetable, updated essentials in the form of conscious, diligently crafted, gender-neutral outfits.

As part of the judging process, the finalists presented two sketches of a phone cover accessory for Micromax Canvas Knight Series, created a special outfit inspired by Tigre Blanc’s philosophy of ‘OPEN LOVE’, embodying the brand’s sensuousness and decadence and 13 sketches of a line of clothing that is contemporary, fashionable and imbibes the brand values of Van Heusen using new age Liva Fabric.

Speaking about the association with Vogue India Fashion Fund,Vinay Bhopatkar, Brand Head, Van Heusen “It’s been an exciting association for us. As the leader in the Indian premium apparel market, we wanted to deepen our association with the Indian design community. And Vogue India Fashion Fund provided us just the right platform for doing so. The work done by the young designers have been truly impressive. We are excited about commercialization opportunity of the designs created by the winners in our AW15 collection.”

Speaking about Tigre Blanc’s association with Vogue India Fashion Fund, Pascale Ahmad, Marketing Director, Tigre Blanc India, says, “We at Tigre Blanc have a deep love for creativity and all its manifestations and believe style is a way of life. With Vogue India Fashion Fund we are able to support and endorse these new and talented next generation fashion designers. Vogue INDIA Fashion Fund gives us a great opportunity to be associated with Vogue’s global initiative with a local relevance, to celebrate the Indian fashion in luxury and style the Tigre Blanc way.”

Mr. Shubhodip Pal, CMO, Micromax added, “Having not inherited any legacy, we at Micromax know what it is to start as a challenger brand. And that is why we believe in supporting upcoming talent as much as we can. We are happy to partner with Vogue India Fashion Fund for a second year in a row, as we believe it will be a great platform to recognize young fashion designers providing them with an international platform as a launch pad. Micromax believes in mirroring the preference of its audiences across the pillars of Lifestyle, music, movies and sports. As technology continues to become an extension of our lifestyle, we aim at enhancing user experience through our innovative product line up which offers integration of superior technology with great style. We would like to congratulate all the winners and look forward to continue this partnership to help motivate young talent in the country.”

Vogue India Fashion Fund has successfully completed two years with the winners – designers Aneeth Arora (2012) and Archana Rao (2013) – having found quick accolades since. This year too, Vogue India Fashion Fund comes with a commitment to provide an ultimate platform for young fashion aspirants.

Vogue India Fashion Fund is a global property that Vogue India launched in April 2012 calling for entries from emerging designers. The aim of the fund was to identify an emerging fashion designer and provide a tremendous boost to that talent through a substantial fund and support.