Ritu Kumar unveils 'Nature's Origami' collection at LFW

Rao walked the ramp in a hand embroidered silk organza asymmetric hem black and indigo dress, inspired by appliqué work of Orissa.

The show was collaboratively designed and conceptualised by Ritu Kumar and Amrish Kumar; an amalgamation of sustainable fabrics in vibrant and off beat hues and incorporation of vintage prints into very modern silhouettes that gave a feel of an organic look. The collection resonated with an urban chic vibe of a contemporary woman featuring dresses, skirts, jackets, lungis, etc engendered on the central theme of tribal and contemporary Indian art forms which allude to nature and rejuvenation.

The show set-up represented a contemporary outlook featuring artisanal installations curated with sheer fabrics, ropes, metal accents and with hints of gold threading, materials used in the making of the garments. Austrian fibre brand Lenzing’s Ecovero fabrics that formed the base of the collection, complemented the aesthetics through their features of amazing drape, lustre, colour vibrancy, exquisite softness and overall visual appeal. All these features came with one of the highest sustainability standards for which Lenzing is renowned globally.

“I am very happy to see a great turnout for the show. We are extremely proud to showcase our designs that interpret rich Indian heritage with clean lines and edgy silhouettes that celebrates the spirit of a contemporary Indian woman,” said Ritu Kumar.

“Our collaboration with Lenzing Ecovero was a thoughtful initiative in bridging the gap between fashion and a healthier environment. Nature’s Origami is a perfect blend of sustainable fashion that caters to young and urban Indian woman who is ready to take the world fearlessly with humility,” said Amrish Kumar, managing director of Ritu Kumar label.

“We are pleased to reintroduce Lenzing Ecovero at the Lakmé Fashion Week SS 2020 this year. Our past associations at LFW have helped in building the narrative of sustainable fashion among designers and influencers in the fashion fraternity. We look forward towards our association with Ritu Kumar this season.  Through this collection, we hope to create a larger outreach among the industry on adopting alternative resources and processes in their brand,” said Avinash Mane, commercial head, South Asia, Lenzing Group.

Since the brand’s inception, five decades ago, Ritu Kumar’s relationship with nature has always been strong and apparent. Whether it is through processes using natural fibres or natural dyes, the brand’s efforts have been dedicated to fulfill the void left by the harrowing exploitation of nature. This partnership with Lenzing Ecovero has further built a dialogue on sustainable fashion, thus focusing on the brand’s ideology on sustainability and ecological harmony, contributing to a cleaner, eco-responsible environment.

‘Nature’s Origami’ was a collection of four stories. It featured Mrinalini Mukherjee’s exhibit at the MET, Neo Origami, Flora and Fauna and Sundarvan.

‘Mrinalini’s’ work with knotted textiles was well known so Ritu brought creations with amazing fabric manipulation and the grand revival of heritage textile techniques. For the ‘Neo Origami’ segment it was the beauty of the festivities when chevrons met florals and lace was layered to perfection. In the ‘Sundarvan’ collection it was the intricate pleats and burnout velvet that offered large doses of La Dolce Vita.

The profusion of embroidery, prints, cutwork, knots and tassels added amazing elegance to the myriad silhouettes that ranged from asymmetric kaftans both long and short, maxis with moulded construction, lacy ponchos, breeches, harem pants, gypsy and sarong skirts as well as an array of printed palazzos.

Ritu’s colour story was a grand mélange of vegetable dyes that were painstakingly turned into deep burgundy and then moved on to faded ochré and finally to mix of violets and leaf green.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)