Mumbai, Apr 5 (IANS): Actress Deepika Padukone, who, along with Ranbir Kapoor, will be the showstopper at Manish Malhotra's fundraiser fashion show hosted by the Mijwan Welfare Society, says the designer has a knack for bridging the "urban-rural divide".

"I've walked the ramp many times before, but this is truly a fashion show with a difference because Manish Malhotra bridges the urban-rural divide by taking the traditional craft of chikankari and fashioning it into contemporary silhouettes in his signature style," Deepika said in a statement.

Mijwan Welfare Society's work over the last nine years has been instrumental in giving women and girl children of Mijwan, Uttar Pradesh, the confidence to negotiate a better future for themselves.

Malhotra will showcase "The Walk Of Mijwan" on April 9, putting on display the craft of chikankari by women of Mijwan, in support of the movement started by the late Kaifi Azmi in 1993. It is now run by his daughter, actress and activist Shabana Azmi.

At the show, two girls from Mijwan -- Lalima Chauhan and Renu, who studied at the Kaifi Azmi School, then learned embroidery at the centre and are now teaching there -- will also relay their success stories.