The Crafting of India DOWNLOAD PDF

The Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019 held from January 31 to February 3 in Mumbai explored the challenges posed by circularity, showcased initiatives in upcycling, and emphasised on the significance of craft, culture and heritage in today’s fashion industry, reports Meher Castelino

India is usually promoted through its fabrics, and one of the most popular forms of taking the story to the public and the people who matter is through fashion shows. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) have been doing this for several seasons, which have given the many weavers and clusters in India a major boost.

The Challenge of Circularity

The Circular Design Challenge (CDC) was created at LFW in collaboration with the UN Environment as a part of R|Elan’s ‘Fashion for Earth’ initiative. It was the country’s first award for circularity in fashion promoting sustainability across the value chain, and inspiring innovation and offering solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion and textiles industry in the country. It was visualised as a platform for young fashion/accessory designers to showcase their creativity by using materials from diverse sources of waste—including plastic—to promote circularity. From over 900 registrations and 30 different cites of India, the eight finalists unveiled their collections before a 6-member jury that included Atul Bagai (India country head, UN Environment), Mickey Boardman (editorial director and columnist for Paper magazine, New York City), Rahul Mishra (fashion and textiles designer) among others.