Araaish to hold 60th show for Save The Children foundation

With the festive season kicking in, shopping fever has begun full swing. Next week, shoppers will be making a beeline for the bi-annual Araaish exhibition. To be held at a new venue, the Palace Hall, NSCI on September 28, this edition is extra special as they are commemorating their 60th show. Araaish, which is in its 11th year now, has grown multifold since its inception, expanding to other cities like Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and even Dubai. The shopping extravaganza is primarily a fundraiser for the Save The Children foundation, a non-profit organisation started by the late Vipula Kadri, that works towards the empowerment of underprivileged women and children. Daughter Mana Shetty along with her siblings has been carrying their mother’s vision forward. “This is our 60th show and is much bigger. We have moved to a larger venue and have doubled the number of designers, from about 35 to 70 this time. We need to continue to grow and raise more money for the NGO,” she explains. And did Mana ever think the exhibition would go so far? “Just before the first show, I wasn’t sure. Sharmilla Khanna and I had curated it but then slowly we saw it was getting such a great response. People wanted to be part of the Araaish family,” she adds.

Visitors can expect a wider array of apparel, shoes and jewellery on display. There will also be food stalls and a cafe to grab a bite in between all that shopping. “Since Diwali is just around the corner, there will be a lot of festive wear on display. Prices have also been kept affordable keeping GST in mind. We have tried to keep a good mix of established designers as well as younger names,” explains Mana, whose friends Vikram Phadnis, Bhavana Pandey and Neelam Kothari will be showing here. The Save the Children foundation will also showcase their own line of chic designer wear.

While Mana is the driving force behind the exhibition, she admits that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her friends and family. “Having the support of everybody helps so much. Some people have been with us from day one. It wouldn’t have grown so much otherwise. We have so many great designers on board who believe in the cause. There’s so much positive energy because of which we keep doing this,” she says. And Mana also has husband Suniel and kids Athiya and Ahan to thank. “Suniel has been my backbone and initially helped in getting sponsors. Both my children have been involved with the foundation through CSR work done with the American school. Ahan has taught the children football, while Athiya has spent time with the rescued girls and would like to be even more involved in the future,” says Mana.