Published in Mint Lounge

As the Lakme Fashion Week takes off in Mumbai today, here are five designers to look out for and the causes they express through their collections

Eco warrior: Chola by Sohaya Mishra

Mumbai-based Mishra has worked with a monochrome palette, which she feels “leaves space for thoughtful interpretation and encourages conversations on the beauty of contrast”. “Black and white, two opposing forces yet complementary, work together to bring balance, inherent to the concept of sustainability,” she says in an email interview. This dualism is woven into her dialogue on sustainability. For the collection, Mishra is working with Recca, a recycled cotton fabric sourced from Tamil Nadu’s Anandi Enterprises, an organization that supplies organic cotton. The collection consists of recycled twills in herringbone and check weaves. The recycled cotton is soft and is different in texture from the light weight organic cotton she has used previously. The movement is forged by a social media initiative, run with the hashtag ‘#RestartFashion’, intended to educate consumers about the consequences of fast fashion and benefits of using post-consumer waste.

Master of the weave: Sanjay Garg, Raw Mango

Delhi-based Garg’s latest collection, “Angels” or “Cloud People”, opens Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) this season, with an off-site showcase at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai. It highlights the softness of white with delicate chikankari on Bengal mul, zardozi and handwoven brocade. “The angel motif adds a new vocabulary to chikankari, which traditionally features florals and paisley motifs. In this case, it was about questioning the use of chikankari, as almost everything seen today is a diluted derivative. The chikan work in this collection is incredibly fine and delicate.” Garg recommends viewing the garments closely to examine the insides and details. What you’re likely to discover is soft feathers and clouds of angels in flight.

Bender of Norms: Anaam by Sumiran Kabir Sharma

Delhi-based Sumiran Kabir Sharma’s collection is inspired by Sonagachi, the red light district in Kolkata. “Our collection, ‘Sonagachi’, represents an unstoppable, unbeatable army of warriors from the infamous district, those who march headfirst in flowy uniforms. Fierce, nameless, ageless, genderless silhouettes representing the collective strength and a call for identity, respect and recognition,” says Sharma. He goes for a representative colour palette with grey, black and earthy browns. The material used is suiting fabric, which is conventionally menswear fabric used for uniforms or corporate clothing. Drapes and patterns co-exist to form unique silhouettes, dotted with epaulettes and stitch detailing. He asks that you “come prepared to view it with equality and acceptance”.

Nostalgia artist: Eká by Rina Singh

Inspired by old, discarded sketchbooks and undone artworks, Delhi-based designer Rina Singh’s theme embraces unfinished techniques. She creates a patchwork of artisanal, aged textiles, in a subtle aesthetic of Gandhian India. “I like to use the feeling of familiarity as opposed to sharp, untouched starched clothes. I like to present the clothes with a feeling of being washed and touched by hand, almost like it has been a part of your wardrobe already,” says Singh in an email interview. She looked to late artist Amrita Sher-Gil for inspiration, and also reached out to activist-author Arundhati Roy and artist Mithu Sen, to ask them questions about their choices and mementos in clothing.

In this collection, you will find monotones of nude with washed-down teal, indigo and blush pink. Faded shades of cement, iron and charcoal “lend a sepia-tinted veneer”. Visualize unfinished floral motifs on jamdani silk wool, block-printed textiles in art mosaic, and embroidery in unspun wool, silk and cotton yarns.

Upcycling advocate: Doodlage by Kriti Tula

Delhi-based Doodlage started with the idea of being able to use scraps from the garment industry and to work around fabric defects to create limited-edition collections. Tula has collaborated with Conserve India, a Delhi-based organization that re-purposes used polybags, discarded seat belts and tyre tubes. They will present together on the second day of the five-day event of LFW; the day is dedicated to themes of sustainability. “Upcycling industrial waste is the central idea of our brand. Each garment is created using industrial scraps, defected fabric and end-of-the-line fabrics which are all a part of pre-consumer waste that often end up in massive quantities of landfill,” says Tula. The collection for LFW, “Dreams and Dystopia”, addresses the chaos and distress in current political and social situations. “What we need is a call to action. To find the strength to push for change and to go beyond likes and shares on social media,” she says.

Deep tones of navy, maroon, sap green are combined with light under-tones of pastel blue and steel grey. “A layer of patchwork and prints representing complex city grids is superimposed with whimsical floral details,” says the designer. Doodlage employs slogans as part of its fashion vocabulary. “Clothing is a means of self-expression and slogans allow you to be more vocal and expressive,” says Tula, of the typographic design employed in her fashion line.