New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS): The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) will dedicate the first two days of the upcoming Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) Spring Summer 2017 to the power of Indian handlooms and textiles.

The 28th edition of AIFW, in association with Maybelline New York, will be held from October 12 to 16 at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, here.

With an aim to capture and continue the handloom legacy of various regions of India, 23 style gurus will showcase on the first two days of the five-day fashion gala their designs, interpreting the possibilities the sector offers, read a statement. 

The designers participating in the project are: Abraham & Thakore, Anavila, Anita Dongre, akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta, Krishna Mehta, Payal Pratap, Rina Dhaka, Samant Chauhan, Pinnacle by Shruti Sancheti, Urvashi Kaur, and Virtues by Viral, Ashish & Vikrant.

FDCI president Sunil Sethi said it is a step towards preserving the heritage. 

"The languishing handloom sector has been resuscitated by the #iwearhandloom campaign started by Textile Minister Smriti Irani. In continuation with this, FDCI and its designers, are making a difference in preserving the heritage of the country through our conceptual shows. This edition is our earnest attempt to merge the past, present and future through meaningful initiatives," Sethi said. 

Totally, 110 designers -- on the runway and stall area -- are taking part in the event. 

The theme of the entire gala is 'India Modern Festive'. It will open with the re-interpretation of chanderi, and close with a guru-shishya (Master and Disciple) presentation by designers JJ Valaya and Alpana-Neeraj.