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May Day: What is May Day and Why It Is Celebrated

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Image from: forumias.com

It is symbolic of past labour struggles against a host of workers’ rights violations, including lengthy work days and weeks, poor conditions, and child labour. It constitutes of  a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our society

Text Credits: Shibul Pavithran

May 1 was a traditional Spring holiday across the northern hemisphere, with numerous rites and ceremonies taking place from Great Britain to Bulgaria. The very first record of May Day celebration appeared with Floralia, the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, celebrated on April 27 during the Roman Republic era, and with the Walpurgis Night Celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane, most commonly held on April 30. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer.

May day, Pagan CultureSource: kareliakitchen

Through the course of history, however, the date’s meaning has changed and evolved, developing from pagan roots into an occasion that has come to be synonymous with workers’ rights, class action, and trade unionism.

Historic Labour Movement Source: newbt.org

International Workers’ Day originated in the struggle for improved workers’ rights in the late 19th century, particularly in the US. This was a period when industrial workers were made to work long days, up to 16 hours, in dangerous conditions. Working conditions were severe, death and injury were common at many workplaces. Socialist organisations sprung up around the world to campaign for improved rights and to challenge the dominance of the wealthy in the politics. During 1860’s, the working class people agitated to reduce the number of hours (workday) without a cut in their wages, but it wasn’t untill the late 1880’s that organised labour was able to gather enough strength to declare the eight-hour working day. This proclamation was done without the consent of employers, yet demanded by many of the working class.

In an attempt to end these inhumane conditions, the Federation of Organised Trades and Labor Unions (FOTLU, which would later become the American Federation of Labor, or AFL) held a convention in Chicago in 1884. The FOTLU proclaimed “eight hours shall constitute a legal day’s labour from and after May 1, 1886″.

The following year, the Knights of Labor – then America’s largest labour organisation – backed the proclamation as both groups encouraged workers to strike and demonstrate.

On May 1, 1886, more than 3,00,000 workers (40,000 in Chicago alone) from 13,000 business walked out of their jobs across the country. In the following days, more workers joined and the number of strikers grew to almost 1,00,000.  Since then, it has been memorialised globally as International Workers’ Day or May Day, to commemorate the Chicago Affair and similar reforms for labourers around the world. It is associated with protests and demonstrations over social, political and economic issues.

May Day ProtestSources: Sbs.com
Labour Day means many things to us. For most, it means a day off from work. It is one of those holidays that you reap the benefits from but not many actually know the true significance of. International Workers Day or Labour Day is a global celebration of the working class people, the labourers, and the tradesmen whose efforts form the very foundation of our social and economic progress

If you observe carefully, we all are labourers in one way or the other. Let’s take a moment to appreciate all the worker’s of the world.

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Events

Celebrity Muses at Lakme Fashion Week 2024

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Celebrities from Bollywood create a lot of buzz every year when they appear in fashion shows as the faces of up-and-coming or established designers in the nation. Lakme Fashion Week is one such event where a large number of Bollywood designers participate. As anticipated, the LFW roster this year had a number of well-known names and was stylish as well. Numerous well-known figures, including Madhuri Dixit and Ananya Panday, sashayed down the ramp. Let’s examine a few of the most well-known figures seen this season on the ramp.

Ananya Pandey

Ananya Panday looked amazing on the catwalk as she paired an off-the-shoulder black petal dress with high-rise leather boots. Wearing a long ponytail and walking confidently, she looked stunning for designer Rahul Mishra.

Aditya Roy Kapur and Janhvi Kapoor

Walking for fashion brand Kalki, Janhvi Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur took the show on the road. Aditya Roy Kapur was spotted wearing a black sherwani with embellishments, while Janhvi Kapoor sported an off-the-shoulder silk shirt and a maroon mermaid skirt.

Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit wore a gorgeous black floral co-ord set with a stylish blazer that gave off business woman vibes for Ranna Gill. She accessorized with modest locks and maroon lips for a neutral makeup look. 

Shanaya Kapoor

On the other hand, Shanaya Kapoor was spotted walking the ramp for Anamika Khanna while sporting an oversized white shirt with embroidered details and high-rise boots.

Tripti Dimri

Tripti Dimri graced the ramp for Shantnu and Nikhil donning an exquisite floor-length silver skirt paired with a sleeveless black top, a chic belt, and a magnificent set of hand gloves. 

Tapsee Pannu

As she walked for Gauri & Nainika, Tapsee Pannu was also seen on the ramp wearing a gorgeous bodycon gown with a mermaid cut end.

Malaika Arora

Malaika Arora spun around in a gorgeous pastel lehenga adorned with golden flower embroidery while she walked the Lakme Fashion Week runway for Anushka Reddy.

Rakul Preet

Rakul Preet, the newest bride in town, was also spotted on the ramp, walking for Ritika Mirchandani while sporting a white crop top and a skirt with a high thigh slit.

Aditi Rao Hydari

In Nirmooha’s ‘Ekatra’ collection, Aditi Rao Hydari embodies royalty as she explores individualism with dark purple coordinated outfits embellished with geometric designs and a dash of shine. 

Divya Khosla

In Rajdeep Ranawat’s opulent ‘Nizam’ collection, which is made of silk and features vintage accents, Divya Khosla looks stunning. The collection is inspired by the grandeur of Lucknow and the royal jewels of Hyderabad.  

Sara Ali Khan

Varun Chakkilam’s ‘Lenora’ collection, which combines modern style with Hyderabadi cultural aspects in pearl grey embroidered lehengas, features Sara Ali Khan flashing burn marks.

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Events

Lakme Fashion Week Day 2 Highlights

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From March 13 to 17, Lakme Fashion Week was held at the famous Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, which is situated in the center of the Bandra Kurla Complex. Lakme Fashion Week 2024 covered every genre, with an insightful and diverse list of designers showcasing their work. Collections included haute couture, street style, country wear, gothic vampire inspired, 1800s cowboy tribes, Indian bridal, Venetian tea party, and Victorian gowns. It’s time to break down some of the major SS’24 fashion trends as fashion week just ended. Sustainable Fashion Day, held on Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week in collaboration with FDCI, featured some incredibly stunning runway looks. 

Til, Yavi, and Inca’s Collection

With their current collection, Inca, Til, and Yavi showcased sustainable design with clothing that promised both unparalleled comfort and glamour. In her role as Inca India’s show stopper, actor Dia Mirza dominated the show. Wearing an opulent all-black suit from their “Love is a Verb” collection, Mirza strutted down the runway. The collection complemented the concept of the event and was influenced by traditional artisan skills and repurposed materials.

Gaurang Shah’s Designs in Pink Hues

Gaurang’s “Gulaal” Lakme Fashion Week Spring/Festive collection. Lehengas and sarees with long-forgotten embroidery, such as Mochi, Parsi Gada, Petite Point, Kasuti, Phulkari, Kutch, and Kashmiri, were featured in the collection in the adaptable color pink.

Tea Cultures of the World x Chola 

With a focus on inclusivity and authenticity, Chola by Sohaya Misra and Tea Culture of the World honoured the merging of fashion and tea culture, embodying confidence, individualism, and empowerment. The collection’s runway was lit up by actresses Neha Dhupia and Konkona Sensharma’s stunning walks in black and white costumes.

U’Core by Urvashi Kaur

In Urvashi Kaur’s U’Core, contrasting selvedges were prominently featured. Her mother, Anupama Singh, along with notable models like Ratna Pathak Shah, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Mallika Dua, Faraz Ansani, Shweta Tripathi, and Santanu Hazarika, showcased the collection’s artistry through stitch line details and hand block printing.

R|Elan X JJV Kapurthala

On Day 2 of Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakme Fashion Week, style and sustainability were guaranteed by the R|Elan X JJV Kapurthala collection. JJV incorporates ethical practices into its design philosophy in a seamless manner, improving garment performance and decreasing textile waste.

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Events

Sparkling Day 1 : Lakme Fashion Week

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With the much awaited Lakme Fashion Week held in the nation’s capital in association with the FDCI, fashion week is officially underway. Every year, people in the apparel business and fashion aficionados alike look forward to this event.

For almost 25 years, Lakme Fashion Week has been creating legendary displays, and there are no plans to stop. The first day of the five-day event featured a star-studded lineup at the runways, including Jim Sarbh, Hina Khan, and Alaya F in addition to Kalki Koechlin.

The Ramp Walk of Karishma Tanna

Karishma Tanna stunned on the catwalk with her stunning INIFD Launchpad ensemble. The “Scoop” actress turned heads with her gorgeous all-black Yashi Gada costume.

“A Periwinkle Wednesday” Collection by SWGT

The most intriguing collection from SWGT is undoubtedly “A Periwinkle Wednesday,” which takes its cues from the designer’s first iteration of love. The compilation honors love in all its tender, humorous, poetic, entrancing, and even frivolous forms.

Launch of a Magazine

The 2024–25 Fashion X Beauty Lakmē Fashion Week Trend Edition, designed by Peclers Paris, was also unveiled on the first day. The trend journal offered a preview of what to expect from the next fashion season via the eyes of multi-cultural trend forecasters.

The “Sun and Moon” Collection by Archana Rao

The “Sun and Moon” collection by Archana Rao was incredibly fascinating since it celebrates the natural harmony between the sun and moon while simultaneously emphasizing their striking contrasts.

The Most Recent Collection of Rajesh Pratap

The collection by La Martina X Rajesh Pratap Singh pays homage to the close relationship between Polo and Jaipur. The designs successfully highlighted the city’s rich cultural heritage and close connections to the game.

Samant Chauhan’s Collection of Ice Watches

Designer Samant Chauhan’s “Ice Watch” showcased superb craftsmanship and creative use of embroidery and shapes. Whites and blues, layers and ruffles, and a tonne of volume made up the mood board. Jim Sarbh, an actor, walked for Chauhan wearing all-white clothing.

A cocktail collection by Geisha Designs

Paras and Shalini, the designer team at Geisha Designs, served up cocktail and evening wear for men and women for the first time that day. Alaya F, a teenage actress who was observed wearing a lavishly embroidered pant and bustier combo, was chosen as their show stopper. 

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