The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) – the organisers of past fashion weeks in Delhi and Mumbai respectively – have come together for their first joint fashion week in 15 years, with collections to be shown, mainly online, via the social media accounts of both organising committees, from today until March 21.

Although some prominent designers are noticeably absent, the digital line-up of FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week features established brands, including Manish Malhotra, Gauri & Nainika, Suneet Verma, Payal Pratap, and Shantanu & Nikhil. In this “seasonless” edition, designers can present any collection of their choice, through fashion films and digital shows shot in Delhi, Mumbai and many other places in between.

Kolkata-based veteran designer, Anamika Khanna, told Indian media outlet First Post she was “honoured” to kick off proceedings with the opening show.

“I’m glad that it is now one fashion week that represents India as a whole. While digitisation has expedited the process of the fashion powerhouses coming together, I hope it will stand through for coming seasons as well,” she said.

The future of a consolidated fashion week in India remains unclear, with many watching to see whether this week is a success before making predictions about any future collaboration.