Most fashion shows have beautiful clothes on display. But not many have an important social message behind them, and fewer still have a powerful spokeswoman walking the runway. Thursday’s show by Indian designer Archana Kochhar had all three. Its very first model, Reshma Quereshi, is an 19-year-old acid attack survivor in India. She walked the runway to send a message of courage and empowerment to other victims of such attacks in her country.
Since Ms Qureshi was attacked by her brother-in-law in 2014, pinned down by his friends and her face doused in acid, she has become the face of #EndAcidSale movement to end the open sale of acid in India.
Acid attacks, which overwhelmingly target women and children, are a particular scourge in South-East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the West Indies and the Middle East.
In India, an estimated 500 to 1,000 attacks take place each year, and while they rarely kill they leave severe physical, psychological and social scars that can see victims ostracised and hidden away.
Ms Qureshi’s appearance at Fashion Week came the same day an Indian court sentenced a man to death for murdering a 24-year-old woman by throwing acid on her face after she rejected his offer of marriage, in a landmark judgement.
