New Delhi: Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the apex body representing the fashion design industry in India, today (Mar 10, 2004) announced a minor rescheduling of the event-dates for Lakme India Fashion Week 2004, keeping in mind the recently announced election dates: April 20 to May 10, 2004.

India's largest Business-2-Business fashion extravaganza, the LIFW 2004, is now scheduled for April 27 to May 3, 2004 at Hotel 'The Grand', New Delhi. The decision to alter the dates for LIFW 2004 was taken by FDCI, post consultation with and keeping in view in best interests of the key stakeholders involved with the event - the buyers, designers and the media. Announcing the new dates, executive director of FDCI, Vinod Kaul, said, "LIFW is a trade event that aims to facilitate buyer-designer interactions. Keeping in mind the international buying seasons and based on feedback received from international buyers, FDCI had earlier announced the moving forward of the event by four months to April this year.

"Continuing with our focus on promoting LIFW as the platform to facilitate 'Business of Fashion', FDCI has decided not to postpone the event to after the general elections, since this would have adversely impacted the buyers attendance and the overall business conducted at the event.

"In consultation with our board members, the event managers - IMG, other key stakeholders and keeping in mind the logistical limitations; we have decided to move forward the event by a maximum possible of two days, to give a clear one week window between the event and the election date in Delhi - May 10, 2004."