JOIN USAn ode to sustainability on Day 2 of FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week 2022
Sustainable fashion is the only way forward in an increasingly fragile eco-system where the environmental burden of producing garments can be huge.
Day 2 of the ongoing FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week 2022 showed how fashion could be sustainable, eco-friendly, and highly stylish. March 24 is Sustainable Fashion Day, and we got to witness conscious collections with a light carbon footprint.
One of the day's most meaningful events was the Circular Design Challenge, where six young designers-cum-entrepreneurs exhibited their sustainable collections. An initiative by R | Elan Fashion for Earth in partnership with the United Nations and United Nations Environment Programme, this challenge aims to promote and award design entrepreneurs who work for circular fashion.
Label Pieux by Pratyush Kumar won this edition of the Circular Design Challenge at FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week 2022.
Pieux by Pratyush Kumar uses discarded textiles, deadstock fabrics, surplus material, and carpet waste to create their products.
Aimed at creating a chic luxury fashion line while keeping the environment in mind, the designer uses upcycled and recycled plastic pet bottles and fabrics to make apparel, shoes, and accessories that are sustainable and modular.
Explaining the idea of modularity, Kumar shared with DH that small things like replacing just the damaged part of any product increase its life span.
"For instance, the spectacles we produce are made of nine parts, so the process of recycling and replacing becomes easy."
The collection had dresses, skirts, pants, blazers, trench coats, pants, and accessories like shoes, glasses, and bags.
"We are working on replacing things like sequins made of glittery plastic with those made of vegan, recyclable materials. We are also trying to create 'sneaker heels' and comfortable and detachable heels," said Kumar.
Besides Pieux, five other designers were also amongst the finalists of the Circular Design Challenge and exhibited their take on sustainability.
Sanah Sharma, who won the R|Elan Award for Excellence in Circularity" at the challenge, showcased her beautiful and delicate line-up of striped and stylised drapes, dresses, and skirts in denim, blue, and white. Her collection also featured headbands, belts, bandanas, and bracelets made of recycled and leftover fabric.
Focused on creating products that don't lead to waste, Sanah's label uses the zero-waste cutting technology called Planar Flux, recycles cotton and polyester yarns, and uses both sides of the material to ensure optimum utilisation and flair.
Sudheer Rajbhar's "Chamar" collection featured chic tote bags and uber-cool slip-ons inspired by vintage 'padukas' in red, green, blue, and yellow. Sudheer uses natural dyes and colours to print and dye the shoes and bags and uses old sarees and khadi fabric for detailing. The designer uses industrial waste and discarded tubes and tyres to make his products.
Radhika Malhotra's "Satat" was about handcrafted wooden jewellery and featured anklets, nose pins, earrings, hand charms, chokers, rings, and hair accessories.
A combination of hand blocking and conscious sustainability, Satat uses waste wooden blocks to make its adornments and uses natural sources of colours such as indigo, kohl, beetroot, gypsum, and turmeric. Their block earrings with white detailing and rope yarn belts with wooden charms made quite a statement.
"Humanity Centred Designs" by Vishal Tolambia presented an all grey collection with asymmetrical hemmed dresses, interesting pantsuits, capes, pants and tops, onesies, cropped jackets, and handheld bags. Vishal's brand uses recycled and virgin yarn and focuses on sustainable transformation.
Made out of the durable and flexible FCD fibre, ensembles showcased by him looked sophisticated and futuristic.
Ashay Bhave's "Thaely" boasted a range of hand-made vegan sneakers made by recycling plastic bags and bottles. The exhibit featured their Earth Brown, Marine Blue, and Cloud White shoes, composed of recycled rubber, plastic, and ThaelyTex, a leather replacement.