Ashish Soni is set to be the first designer from India to debut at the New York Fashion Week this September where he would showcase his clothes alongside the likes of Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.

"I am thrilled. New York is most certainly the biggest platform of fashion in the world," said Soni, who runs the 'as' label with his sister Smita.

Soni hogged a lot of limelight at the India Fashion Week in April with his collection inspired by Japanese fine art photographer Yoshimitsu Naga Saka.

The New York Fashion Week, now called the Olympus Fashion Week, would be held at Bryant Park, New York City, June 9-16.

Soni's collection at the India Fashion Week was applauded by prominent fashion watchers, including buyers from Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrods.

London store Selfridges finally bought the whole collection that explored the stark contours of a Buddhist temple in the colours of monasteries intermingled with black, ecru and white.

"My fashion week collection was a great success. I have always been about the 'Indian', but my 'Indian' is a very subtle 'Indian'," said Soni, whose collection at New York would be an extension of the India Fashion Week line.

He would be showing 45 women's wear ensembles in handloom and cotton at New York, doing what he does best - giving a hint of India, yet keeping all the trappings of international fashion.

Soni's collection was spotted by Fern Mallis, executive director of 7th on Sixth (which produces the Olympus Fashion Week) who asked him to participate at New York.

Soni would be spending $200,000 to participate at the event and is, at the moment, busy collecting money for it.

In the past, Indian designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi Mukherjee have taken part in the Milan Fashion Week. Ritu Beri has been a regular at Paris and Anamika Khanna has shown in London.