New Delhi, Mar 12 (Representative) Lakmé, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), and Rise Worldwide have spearheaded various initiatives, throughout the years, emphasizing the advantages of responsible and sustainable business practices, and its effect on the environment. In line with this, Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) in partnership with FDCI has collaborated with renowned designers towards various sustainability initiatives. This time, the event has partnered with Abraham and Thakore who have designed the exclusive print of reusable water bottles across the venue in a bid to prevent water wastage as well as tackle the use of single-use plastic. The platform provided over 500 bottles to visitors during Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI along with installing water dispensers and water fountains across the venue.The bottle prints, designed by Abraham & Thakore, give a nod to the global recycling symbol reimagined with traditional Bandhani dots that pay homage to the timeless tie and dye textile art often represented in their collections. The merging of the recycling symbol and the classic design technique is a beautiful pairing of traditional art forms and their link to sustainability.In its 30 year pedigree, Abraham & Thakore has efforted in a multitude of creative ways to tackle the idea of fast fashion, upcycling, and recycling. Their garments, as quoted by loyalists customers, last over eight years. Their fabric reengineering creates luxury that truly lasts.
The kantha stitch, which has become their visual trademark over the years, propagates the ancestral idea of upcycling. In 2015 their collection called Kantha Recycle had a lightbulb of an idea to turn discarded x-ray films from hospitals recycled to be used as large sequins. These silhouettes have made an impression on the runway and lasting well past it. The previous season of Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI introduced the use of water bottles with over 500 metal bottles circulated across the venue that helped save approximately 1,504.8 litres of water and over 15000 plastic bottles.Commenting on the unique collaboration, designers Abraham & Thakore said, “With this association, we are representing sustainability paired with traditional art forms, something that is truly special to us. We hope that this helps shed more light on the initiative and encourages adoptions of a greener and more environmentally friendly option that cuts down on water waste and single-plastic use.” Speaking about the initiative, Harman Dhillon, Vice President Skin Care & Color Cosmetics at Hindustan Unilever Ltd said, “At Lakmé, we have always been committed to sustainable practices in line with Unilever’s Positive Beauty vision. In doing so, we recognise that habit-forming micro-steps can go a long way in creating meaningful impact for people and our planet.
As India’s largest fashion platform, Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI has a pivotal role to play in reiterating this for all stakeholders in the fashion ecosystem. The inspired collaboration with Abraham & Thakore is a simple, yet significant step in this direction.” Sunil Sethi, Chairman FDCI said, “Sustainable initiatives are at the core of everything that we aspire to bring to the fore at Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. We are thrilled to have David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore partner with us this season. Through this collaboration we hope to further highlight the importance of making sustainable, conscious choices.”Commenting on the progressive initiative, Jaspreet Chandok, Head – RISE Fashion and Lifestyle said, “RISE has always spearheaded conversations around sustainability, be it through presentations with designers or brand partnerships. We are pleased to partner with ace designers Abraham & Thakore this season and will continue to partner with designers of repute to bring innovations in the sustainability and design space for seasons to come.” Some of the other initiatives in the sustainability space last season included the use of green power, collection of show invites to minimise paper waste after the show (collected 67 kgs of show invites, to be recycled into books/diaries for underprivileged kids), Waste management on site and Live recycling centre to recycle single use plastic among others.