In its endeavour to build bridges between creative communities and the priorities of our times, ACEE The Third Eye, presents noted fashion designer, Salim Asgarally who will showcase his special creations for the benefit of some very special children, onSaturday, April 19^th, 2014 at the ITC Grand Central, Rooftop, Parel.

In this unique event being organized by The Smile Foundation to raise funds for the education of a 1000 underprivileged children, haute couture will lend its elegant hand to the cause of children in need of health, education and social empowerment, marking a new beginning in the involvement of the creators of exquisite garments lending their support to the worthy cause of child rights. Titled RED, the line created by Salim Asgarally promises to speak volumes for those children that The Smile Foundation is holding the event for.

Soni Razdan Bhatt, Actor, Producer, Writer and Film Director; Shaheen Bhatt, Writer and Activist, better known for that which her father Mahesh Bhatt does quietly and is lesser known for – Shaheen agressively supports human rights causes along with him;Gajra Kottary, writer of Ballika Vaddhu, a socially powerful top rated series which has successfully completed more than a 1000 episodes; Veena Bakshi, Filmmaker of the award winning and critically aclaimed film Coffin Maker starring Naseeruddin Shah and Randeep Hooda and Producer and Director of over 200 adfilms and commercials;Shrishti Arya, Managing Director at Rose Movies and Producer of top rated shows like Kehtaa Hai Dil and Jee Le Zaraa; and Aroona Bhat, Producer of film Tamanchey and PR Consultant; are the Women of Substance, who having achieved success and fame in their work will now be walking the ramp in support of the cause of child rights, the fashion show organized by The Smile Foundation that aims to raise funds for the education of a 1000 underprivileged children.

     

“I believe if every business directed a small part of its profits towards positive social change and in uplifting the underprivileged in our society the world would be a happier and more equitable place to live in devoid of strife, stress and poverty,” said designer Asgarally when asked about what his thoughts were about his participation in the event. Adding further, Asgarally said, “We at Salim Asgarally’s support the cause of the Smile Foundation to educate over a 1000 children in India through the Ramp for Champs Show. It fills me with great joy to realise that my talent and creativity can besides dressing women to look gorgeous, also bring light into the lives of children through education thereby laying the foundation of a better tomorrow for the whole world. The collection created especially for this show will be showcased by 6 very special “Women of Substance” who not only are achievers in their own spaces but are supporters of positive social change through their work in television and films. This collection is designed primarily in the colour RED which signifies love, compassion and a heart that bleeds for the needy to urge one and all to be sensitive to the plight of the children that need our help.”

Eloquent in their support of the cause, our WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE had the following to say.

Gajra Kottary – “Neither yours nor mine, all the world’s children are ours. Let us give every child what she deserves and help build her today and our tomorrow.”

Soni Razdan – “A country that cannot protect its children cannot call itself a society, let alone an evolved society.   It’s shocking that fifty percent of Indian children do not go to school, and 95 of every thousand children do not see the age of five. Children in India really have it very tough. Those that have a childhood are either from affluent families or just plain lucky.  As long as children suffer the way they do, any claims to us being a forward thinking, growth oriented nation are nothing but a hollow sham.”

Shrishti Arya– “It is heart breaking that today we need to draw attention to child rights. There is no one on this planet that has not been a child and no way for the continuance of society without the child. At yet we are here today, trying to make known, the importance of child rights. Is it any wonder then, the state of our nation and in fact the state of the world at large? Children are our roots and our wings. They form the inextricable link to our past and also embody the hopes of our future. And there is no future without the empowerment of the child. It’s quite simply survival for Civilisation 1.0 . Thank you Smile foundation for giving me the opportunity to do something to raise awareness for this most crucial issue and to Salim, who adds aesthetic to this endeavour to draw attention towards child rights.”

Veena Bakshi– “The saddest sight is that of a violated child. Children being easy targets are the first to suffer when it comes to the wrath of an adult primarily out of ego. Then it doesn’t matter if it is a war situation or a drought. Neglect is the next most heinous crime against children. The mute cry of a violated child is one of the saddest sounds on earth. We as responsible adults and filmmakers must work together to bring back the sounds of laughter to the lips of children. Let the kids be kids. There is nothing that lights up brighter than a child’s smile. Let us light up the world with more smiles.”

SALIM ASGARALLY

Salim Asgarally who trained extensively at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and the University of California in Los Angeles, is one among India’s first formally trained fashion designers. His creations can be found on the racks of chic fashion houses like OGAAN Mumbai and New Delhi, ZOYA and FUEL in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad, IRIS and SADE in Pune, FFOLIO Bangalore, and SAUCE Dubai, besides his own studio in Mumbai.

Tha Salim Asgarally label has three design ranges- Couture, Pret-a-Porter and Home Accessories.

Apart from his Annual Showing in Mumbai, Salim Asgarally has created special lines for fashion events by prestigious brands, dressed celebrities from the film and television world, created costumes for eminent filmmakers like Kalpana Lajmi and Pooja Bhatt, conducted lectures, workshops and seminars, judged high profile fashion events and mentored students of design.

SMILE FOUNDATION–

Smile foundation is a national level development organization reaching out to more than 2,00,000 underprivileged children and youth directly. About 160 welfare projects are operational across 25 states of India, covering subjects like education, healthcare, livelihood, women empowerment and advocacy.

ACEE THE THIRD EYE– is empowering the creative leadership of the media and entertainment industries of India with accurate information on key health, legal, gender and social issues through expert advice, tracking change and measuring impact of content across all media platforms.