Marking a landmark moment for India’s fashion and retail ecosystem, the 25th edition of the India Fashion Forum (IFF) 2026 concluded on a high note with thought leadership, intelligence-driven conversations, and the prestigious IMAGES Fashion Awards (IFA) 2026, recognising excellence across marketing, retail innovation, customer engagement, store design and leadership.
Held on January 28–29, 2026 at Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, Bengaluru, IFF 2026 brought together over 3,000 attendees and 300+ industry leaders, spanning the entire fashion value chain—from fibre, fabric and design to technology, marketing and retail. Anchored around the theme “Empowering Fashion’s Future – 25 Years of Influence-Impact-Innovation,” the silver jubilee edition not only celebrated IFF’s legacy but also set the agenda for the next phase of India’s fashion growth story.
IMAGES Fashion Awards 2026: Celebrating Excellence Across Fashion Retail
A key highlight of IFF 2026 was the IMAGES Fashion Awards (IFA) 2026, which recognised brands and retailers that have demonstrated outstanding innovation, creativity and business excellence over the past year.
In marketing and promotions, Lacoste’s “Court of Light” won Most Admired Marketing & Promotions Campaign of the Year – Festival Sales, while Avantra’s “Avantra My Way” and Campus Shoes’ “You Go Girl!” were honoured under the Multimedia category.
The Digital & Social Media Campaign of the Year category saw a tie among brands, with Spykar Lifestyle’s “Daur Apna Hai” and U.S. Polo Assn.’s “Leisure On The Go” sharing the top honours, while Max Fashion’s “Max Turn Up the New 13X” won in the Retailer segment.
In celebrity-led branding, the Most Admired Celebrity Endorsement Campaign of the Year was jointly awarded to Puma India’s PVMA campaign and JadeBlue x Jasprit Bumrah, reflecting the growing impact of authentic celebrity-brand partnerships.
Retail experience and design also took centre stage, with The Body Shop India winning Most Admired Experiential Store Design of the Year, while Lifestyle was recognised for Most Admired Visual Merchandising Innovation of the Year.
Pepe Jeans London took home the award for Most Admired CRM Initiative of the Year, and Vismay was honoured for its impactful work under Most Admired CSR Initiative of the Year.
Emerging retail concepts and new store formats were also celebrated. Neo Stretch won Most Admired EBO Debut of the Year, while Knockout, Barnala (Punjab) was recognised as Most Admired Concept Store Launch of the Year.
In the flagship store category, awards were presented across formats:
- Technosport, Sarath City Mall, Hyderabad – Exclusive Brand Retailer
- Image Luxe, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh – Multi Brand Retailer
- Easybuy, JP Nagar, Bengaluru – Private Label Retailer
Recognising strategic retail growth, the Most Admired Retailer of the Year – Market Expansion awards went to:
- BAGLINE for New Market Penetration
- Megamart for Store Count Augmentation
- Tommy Hilfiger & Calvin Klein for 360° Market Expansion
- Valli Silks for Trading Area Growth
The evening reached a poignant high with the presentation of the 25th India Fashion Forum Leader of Leaders Award to B S Nagesh, acknowledging his enduring contribution to shaping modern Indian retail and mentoring generations of industry leaders.
