Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI to host sustainable fashion day on Oct 12

The sustainable fashion showcases are Amit Gupta Sustainable; Swatti Kapoor; Kaveri; Swati Vijaivargie; Ka-Sha; Verandah; 11.11/eleven eleven; Payal Pratap; Abraham & Thakore; and R|Elan, the organisers said in a press release.

“It’s been over ten years of Lakmé Fashion Week spearheading thought-provoking discussions and providing design disruptors a platform to showcase their work at the sustainable fashion day. Much like our previous editions, this season too we are proud to bring to the fore talented designers and their innovations, who’re at the cusp of creating impact with mindful designs,” Harman Dhillon, vice president skin care & colour cosmetics at Hindustan Unilever Limited, said.

“At Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, the conversation that should precede everything else is the urgent need to look at alternate sources which are less harmful for the environment. Whether it is materials or processes, fashion needs to be more natural and organic. Thus, in the upcoming edition, the showcases planned on sustainable fashion day, will talk about design that creates an ecosystem for the future generations to cherish,” Sunil Sethi, chairman, FDCI, said.

“Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI’s ambition is to create opportunities for stakeholders in the fashion industry to think of sustainable solutions, thereby enabling the end consumer to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. In addition to the exemplary and innovative designer showcases that are scheduled, we have taken our commitment to sustainability a step further with the global expansion of circular design challenge, as well. Day two of Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI will be yet another step in bolstering our efforts towards creating a sustainable future,” Jaspreet Chandok, group vice president, Reliance Brands, said.

The inspiration behind Amita Gupta Sustainable's ‘The Age of Urban Reforestation’ lies in the intricate interplay between nature and humanity. Amita Gupta Sustainable aims to capture the essence of this harmonious relationship through their motif designs, incorporating elements such as organic textures, earthy tones, and fluid silhouettes.

Inspired by the vastness of the largest desert in the world, Swatti Kapoor’s collection- ‘Sahaara’, is bohemian, eclectic, and vibrant. Layered with patterns and textures, her block printed motifs are inspired by the desert rose or the adenium obesum. They feature pintucks, pleating, hand embroidery and other kinds of fabric manipulation within this collection. Kapoor’s endeavour as a brand is to use sustainable techniques like recycling and upcycling to minimise wastage and reduce their carbon footprint.

Kaveri’s newest offering ‘The Romance of the Rose’ is a collection borne from handcrafted finesse, with imprints of the rose, embossed in time. Using her signature surface techniques and innovation with sculpted linen, this collection is an exquisite diorama in fine linen and silk – a poetic expression stamped with an enduring love of the rose. She believes in slow fashion and creating magic and texture with linen.

In her newest collection ‘Gulaal’, Swati Vijaivargie finds herself inspired by colour. From the pink-tinged architecture of Jaipur to the shimmering Golden City of Jaisalmer, colour defines every aspect of life in India. To her, colour and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship. ‘Gulaal’ comes from layers and layers of beautiful thoughts and deep inspiration by the Indian ethos. Crafted keeping luxury top of mind, the designs are meant to be worn effortlessly.

‘Milan’ enquires into foundations built on individuality, through different elements coming together to play their own part; creating an effect greater than the sum of its parts. For inspiration, Ka-Sha looks around to find nature’s free flowing roots of trees, densely intertwined yet each finding their path. Ka-Sha looks at familiar forms and shapes coming together, thereby creating patterns for appliqués, hand-embroideries and for the silhouettes of their clothing.

‘Anjuna’, the famed tropical sleepy village in Goa, got cult status on the hippie trail in the 1960’s with the advent of electronica and Goa trance. Having moved to Goa in the pandemic and global lockdown, Anjali Patel Mehta made Anjuna her home for the season. Famed for its black rock beach, music and flea market, Anjuna has less discovered tropical glory that is heroed in this collection. In colours of brick and coral juxtaposed against the lush greens and blue azulejos tile work, Verandah’s signature hand painted prints depict the beauty of the old Goan homes.

11.11/eleven eleven is celebrating its fifteenth year of showcasing India’s indigenous practices at a global platform. 11.11 goes back to the very foundational principles of textile making, presenting a collection that meditates on the essential act of hand spinning. Its SS24 collection ‘Hand Spun’ is a celebration of the hand spinners of India. In this collection they bring attention to the oft-ignored rung of artisans: the hand spinners. The beauty of the hand-spun yarns coming together to form a raw beautiful fabric is exemplified by an intermingling of craft practices, a jugalbandi as they call it, which is a core value of the brand.

Payal Pratap’s ‘The Soft Parade’ is an ode to the rich crafts of the Kutch region. Adapted in a modern context, it features handwoven khadi cottons and handloom linens, woven stripes, chambray weaves, silks, chanderis, and bandhani prints on silk. This collection has extensively explored patchwork in modern and abstract nature motifs.

At a time when chatGPT is gaining steam, and emojis are becoming (almost) as powerful as the written word, Abraham & Thakore reflect on this pertinent question. ‘Body Language’ is a striking collection where playful typography is at the core. This theme is explored through the meticulous craftsmanship of ikat, ajrakh, brocades, badla, sequin, and fine laser cut work.

R|Elan will present the Circular Design Challenge (CDC) in partnership with The United Nations in India, a platform for young fashion designers and entrepreneurs to showcase products and innovations rooted in the principles of circularity. The programme aims to nurture, mentor and promote environmental champions leading circular innovations in the fashion and textile value chain.

Over the past few months, CDC has travelled across the globe, scouting the most exciting innovators along with global partners: British Council, Istituto Marangoni and Redress. The journey across continents has seen incredible juries conducted in London, Milan, Hong Kong and Mumbai to select the CDC Batch of 2023 who will display their collections at the show. From expert biomimicry of nature that manifests itself into biodegradable footwear and patented zero waste pattern technology to accessories made from banana crop waste and apparel created using textile discards, this cohort of change-makersis dedicatedly shaping the future of fashion.

In addition to a solo-showcase at the next season of fashion week, one winner will also receive a seedfunding to grow their business along with the chance to be mentored by Orsola De Castro and the team at Estethica.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)