Acid-attack survivors to walk ramp for fashion designer Umair Zafar in Mumbai

Though he originally hails from Lucknow, Mumbai is his second home. Zafar has decided to showcase his 2016 collection supporting the cause of acid-attack survivors.

 

Zafar recently held a show in Lucknow and plans to bring the same event to Mumbai in early 2016. 

 

"I am finalizing the dates and will showcase my 2016 line either in January or February of 2016," said Zafar. 

 

"It was really inspiring to interact with those girls and women, in Lucknow, who in spite of their physical deformities caused by atrocious acid attacks were confident and particular about their taste and choice.  They walked the ramp shoulder to shoulder with other professional models with utmost confidence, grace and poise, thanks to the training given by the choreographer Sameer Srivastava and designer Umair Zafar who took extra care to ensure that the outfits donned by the acid-attack survivors were comfortable and yet fashionable," he said.

 

According to Shahab Ahmad – one of the patrons of the event, “This is a social cause and we are really proud to associate ourselves with it. We thank designer Umair Zafar for his zeal and support and look forward to doing several events in different parts of India.”

 

Said Umair Zafar, “Anshu's right eye had lost its sight and the left one barely had any light left. In an acid attack last year, her face had been disfigured. But, as the 17-year-old waited for her turn to dress up, her courage was already evenly lit up on her face.” 

 

"I am not nervous or scared. I was not even when I should have been. Why then should I be scared of walking the ramp," declared Anshu, who was one among the 15 acid-attack survivors from UP to walk the ramp at the Virangana Samman Awards 2015 organized by Ummeed and Umair Zafar. 

 

"The walk was to honour the survivors and dispel the narrow meaning of beauty we carry with us. All these women are beautiful in more than one possible ways," explained Balbir Singh, founder, Ummeed.

 

Several other acid attack survivors too joined in with Anshu for the highlight walk, coming from Fatehpur to Unnao, Bijnor, Faridabad, Bareilly, Agra and others.

 

Zafar said, "The theme of the collection was "Awadhi".  I have mainly used chikankari and mukaish with pure georgette and brocades in my designs. The collection comprises of long kurtas with plazzoz, gararas and gowns." 

 

Umair Zafar gifted the garments to the survivors, as a token of his appreciation for their effort and support.

 

Besides Lucknow and Mumbai, Umair Zafar now plans to hold similar shows in various parts of India, including Delhi and Bangalore.