Mumbai: Indian Creative Women (ICW), in collaboration with D&AD and the DDB Mudra Group, is thrilled to announce the 5th edition of its highly anticipated Portfolio Evening. Designed to spotlight young women and non-binary creatives, the event underscores a collective commitment to fostering greater visibility and representation in India’s advertising and design sectors.
This year’s Portfolio Evening will take place across two formats:
Virtual Event: 30th January 2025, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
In-Person Event: 31st January 2025, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Omnicom House
The initiative is tailored for women and non-binary professionals with up to six years of experience, including recent graduates from advertising portfolio schools. The event provides an invaluable platform to receive one-on-one portfolio reviews from the industry’s top leaders. The registration deadline is 24th January 2025, and interested participants can apply through this link.
In its five years, the Portfolio Evening has empowered over 500 women, accelerating their career trajectories and providing actionable feedback on their work. This year, two exceptional portfolios will be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to the renowned D&AD Festival in London, courtesy of the event’s sponsor, Godrej Consumer Products.
Sakshi Choudhary, Founder of Indian Creative Women, highlighted the importance of nurturing female talent in the creative field, “There is no doubt that our industry is better with women in it. Leaders like Swati, Kainaz, Tista, Deepa, Lulu, Malvika, Ashwini, Shikha, Shagun, Binaifer and so many others have done award winning work that is not just fresh but has catapulted this industry to a great extent. Indian Creative Women’s annual Portfolio Evening is an effort to ensure a strong leadership pipeline with the next generation of women.”
Dara Lynch, CEO of D&AD, emphasized the alignment of values between D&AD and ICW, stating:
“This year’s partnership with Indian Creative Women underscores our shared commitment to creative excellence and equity. At D&AD, we believe the best ideas come from diverse perspectives. By empowering underrepresented voices, we pave the way for innovation and growth. Together, we’re fostering an environment where creativity thrives for all.”
Speaking on the initiative, Swati Bhattacharya, Global Head of Godrej Creative Lab, expressed her enthusiasm, “Partnering the journey of these promising young women creatives gives me incredible joy.
The winners will get to work with the Godrej Creative Lab on a live campaign, something we can’t wait to get started on. Accelerating women’s careers and giving them the place they deserve is the only way we all will succeed in this industry of ours.”
Rahul Mathew, CCO of DDB Mudra Group, underscored the importance of diversity, “In our business there’s more to diversity than just the gender ratio. Having diversity also adds diversity to our thinking. And at a time when the industry is facing competition from creators of all kinds, it’s so important for us to have talent that brings in fresher and more diverse POVs.”
The Portfolio Evening will be held on 30th January (online) from 4-7 pm and 31st January (Omnicom House) from 3-7 pm.
