Actors Helen, Rajat Bedi attend fashion showcase celebrating Punjab’s craft heritage

Craft Forward, an initiative under PITEX 2025 aimed at preserving Punjab’s handicraft heritage and empowering artisans and women, presented the Punjab Heritage Show — a fashion showcase featuring ethnic collections by designers Rachit Khanna, Farah Sanjana, Hikari Arora and The Couture by Khurana.

The event was curated by Fashion Tech Forum chair Himani Arora, who said the initiative seeks to provide visibility to artisans while promoting skill development, job opportunities and sustainable livelihoods for village artisans, women and self-help groups. She added that the initiative includes specialised training programmes for women in prisons and projects focused on rural areas.

The glittering evening witnessed celebrity appearances, with actor Rajat Bedi and legendary star Helen gracing the event. Advocating for sustainable fashion that supports livelihoods and retains timeless appeal, Helen said Punjab’s heritage crafts have made a global impact. Bedi shared experiences from his Bollywood journey and described his comeback through the web series Badass of Bollywood as “life changing.”

The evening concluded on a lively note with singer Hargun Kaur performing popular numbers, drawing the audience to sing along.