As fashion weeks across the world and closer to home are underway, it’s hard to look away from how carbon-intensive the events themselves are. And that’s exactly where sustainability at the winter edition of Fashion Design Council Of India (FDCI) X Lakmé Fashion Week 2022 comes into the picture. From refillable water bottles for the crew to facilities to safely discard your show invites that are to be recycled into diaries, these small steps remind us of how sustainability in fashion often goes beyond clothes too.
One of the first conscious fashion showcases at the event was that of Gen Next designer ‘re-‘ on day one of the five-day event. A sustainable and homegrown brand, ‘re-‘ used recycled textiles and plant dyes to create traditional Indian silhouettes. Without compromising on the celebratory vibe of Indianwear, the brand’s pieces were a breath of fresh air when it came to sustainability.
Image Source: Instagram/lakmefashionwk
Moving on to day two, Sustainable Fashion Day was opened by a three-designer show - Studio Medium, Diksha Khanna and Swatti Kapoor. While Studio Medium's collection the JAMBAN JOURNALS 2.0 experimented with a mix of Jamdani and Bandhani crafts, Diksha Khanna’s collection made use of Handwoven Denim and Linens all naturally dyed. Swatti Kapoor’s line of fluid women’s wear was inspired by the pomegranate, a fruit the Greek Goddess of Love was enamoured by. Kapoor’s use of pure, sustainable fabrics like khadi, mul, self-striped Chanderi and techniques like block printing and hand embroidery made for a balanced collection.
Image Source: Instagram/lakmefashionwk
The show that followed was that of R|Elan™️ presents Circular Design Challenge WINNER - PIEUX in partnership with the United Nations in India. PIEUX's collection was an eccentric amalgamation of sustainable materials like lCARTEX( 100 per cent upcycled carpet waste handloom textile), R|Elan™️ Greengold (100 per cent recycled polyester made from post-consumer PET Bottles), GRS-certified recycled Polyester, organic cotton, etc. and made for a collection of uniquely styles silhouettes.
Image Source: Instagram/lakmefashionwk
Cotton made an appearance in the next showcase as well. Eka’s very dreamy show was filled with weightless layers and happy colours, made of block-printed fabrics like cotton, cotton silk, kota and linen.
Find out more about the brand: Click here
Image Source: Instagram/lakmefashionwk
It’s a breath of fresh air to see sustainable showcases not just on Sustainable Fashion Day but spread across the event, a sign that sustainability might just be taking over - one designer at a time.