Sustainability and Indian Crafts Take Centre Stage on Day 1 of Lakmé Fashion Week 2020

The day kicked off with three promising young designers showcasing their collections—Dhātu Design Studio by Anmol Sharma, MISHÉ by Bhumika & Minakshi Ahluwalia and THE LOOM ART by Aarushi Kilawat. (Above image by The Loom Art).

Anmol’s collection pivoted around reducing carbon footprints. He stayed away from animal leather, synthetic fabrics, digital printing to use Bhagalpur Ahimsa silk, hemp, naturally dyed denim, hand-woven Pashmina and Mangalgiri cottons to present outfits that were functional and comfortable. Boiler suits, jackets, shirts, kurtas and pants with zippers and drawstrings and hoodies with attached masks made up his menswear collection.

Mother and daughter duo Bhumika and Minakshi put forth alternate fabric options with their “Shuwa" collection. They used fabric made from banana and orange peel, recycled and hand-woven cotton as well as handwoven cotton jute. Moreover, zero-waste procedures of pattern making were used to create skirts, blouses, tunics, pinafores, trousers and palazzos. The colour palette ranged from ivory, muted pinks and yellows to darker jewel tones like emerald and amethyst.

Aarushi’s “Between the Lines” was a refreshing mélange of tiered dresses, collared shirts, long coats, breezy jackets, trousers and skirts. The designer offered plenty of layering options as was seen in the clever styling of the models. The collection was created out of fabrics such as handwoven, cotton silk, Chanderi and Matka silks in muted greys and blues. Most of the pieces with contemporary silhouettes and cuts were adorned with patches of Soojni and Kantha embroidery.

The designers behind the brand Malai, Susmith Chempodil and Zuzana Gombosova are the winners of the 2nd Circular Design Challenge at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2020. Through their collection they showed how bio-composite material, based on bacterial cellulose grown on water from mature coconuts and natural fibres, could be an alternative to leather for accessories and garments. They presented a range of resort wear—beach robes, wrap trousers, white peplum blouses, lungi style skirts, floppy kaftan tunics, bias-cut flared midis and comfy shirts in shades of indigo and white. Each garment was made from either organic cotton, banana jersey, hemp canvas or handed down Mundu fabrics. Natural dyes and waxes were used along with cyanotype printing with coconut leaves and plants on the clothes. The colourful accessories seen on the models were designed from malai biocomposite and supporting materials like waxed canvas.

National Award-Winning Textile and Fashion Designer, Gaurang Shah’s “Taramati” collection of 30 grand, heritage, and handwoven saris from the Golconda era was a visual delight. Guarant brought together weaves from across the country—Ikat, Kanchi, Patan, Kota, Uppada, Banarasi, Kani, Venkatagiri, Paithani and Jamdaani made up the collection. The timeless appeal of these weaves was further highlighted with intricate aari, chikankari, kasuti, and kantha work along with colourful Kutch Parsi gara embroidery. The presentation unleashed a riot of colours in the form of drapes in green, yellow, red, purple and pink, which held on to the limelight as dancers dressed in white from head to toe pirouetted around.

The fashion film that brought together six designers Abraham & Thakore, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Urvashi Kaur, Payal Khandwala, Anavila Mishra and Suket Dhir was a craft-based initiative by IMG Reliance to support marginalised craft clusters, impacted by the pandemic and to generate livelihood opportunities for the artisans. The designers presented collections that highlighted crafts like Ikat, block prints, Jamdaani, brocade, Khatwa and Shibori techniques. (Above Image by Rajesh Pratap Singh for Satya Paul)

For the finale show of the day, audiences were transported to Rajasthan, the home state of Raw Mango’s Sanjay Garg. The festive collection “Moomal” that he presented drew inspiration from the folklore, the vibrant culture, the unique craft and textiles of the region. Sanjay reimagined the traditional poshaks, lehengas, jackets and the graphically constructed cholis to give them a contemporary edge. The signature bold colour and textile combinations were to be seen in each ensemble.