Fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries. I, as a designer, not only tried to promote and raise awareness about the disaster that we humans are causing through my collection but also try to protect our nature through the use of sustainable and regenerative processes for my collection.
Raiva Singh, Knitwear Designer (NIFT), was inspired by the end result of creating original works. Knowing that she could create something from nothing without hovering expectations allowed her designs to be unencumbered. She believes that the Fashion Industry is one of the most polluting industries, and as an upcoming designer it is not only her responsibility to start adapting sustainable ways in creating her collection but also to promote it on common grounds so that it reaches out to as many people as possible for conservation of our environment. Making and promoting conscious clothing so that every person can contribute towards a greener planet and cleaner planet is one of her major goals. Being one with nature, using, promoting sustainability and regenerative processes is one small step that she has taken towards giving back what she takes from nature.
When COVID shut down life, everything was like at a pause. We were forced to stay at home, making life monotonous. It felt like the only news around us was this big cloud of negativity, from families getting torn apart to people losing their loved ones. But in midst of this chaos, there was this small ray of positivity, from decrease in pollution level to rare sightings of birds and animals all around the world, it felt like the Earth was resetting itself.
That’s when I realised how much we humans have damaged our Earth and how selfishly we were just using her for our own greed. With plenty of time on my hand, I took this opportunity to connect myself with nature and one small step towards it was gardening. It is surreal to see a seed as a sacred metaphor for life. It gives you a sense of wonder. It is like not only giving life but providing home and food to others. In return it teaches you how to be kind, caring, gentle and wait. It reminds you to be one with Earth and give back what you take.
Nature has become the great unifier and healer in a period of upheaval and it is time to teach the importance of protecting it to our future generation from the very beginning.
Re-rooted to nature is the theme of my collection, affirmation of the things that connect us to nature. As each creature has its own place in the life cycle of Earth, and whether or not we know what function each one fulfils, we should understand that they all need to be protected. Hence, I developed a kids wear collection promoting and raising awareness about critically endangered species all around the world and what could be a better way of teaching them this through their clothing.
Kids these days are getting more aware about their surroundings and it is important to teach them from the start the importance of every being in our ecosystem and the urgency to save them before they go extinct.
Fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries. I, as a designer, not only tried to promote and raise awareness about the disaster that we humans are causing through my collection but also try to protect our nature through the use of sustainable and regenerative processes for my collection.
VENUS FLYTRAP
This co-ord set is inspired by one of the most vulnerable plant Venus Flytrap, this species is threatened by overcollection, habitat destruction and fire suppression. Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands. The ‘trap’ is made of two hinged lobes at the end of each leaf. On the inner surfaces of the lobes are hair-like projections called trichomes that cause the lobes to snap shut when prey comes in contact with them. The Venus flytrap gets some of its nutrients from the soil, but to supplement its diet, the plant eats insects and arachnids. Like all plants, the Venus flytrap gets its energy from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. It digests insects and arachnids to get nutrients that are not available in the surrounding environment as they grow in moist acidic soil which is poor in nutrients.
The fun fact about Venus Flytrap is that they bloom their flowers far away from its traps, so that they don’t accidently kill their pollinators. Getting inspired by this fact, I showed the traps on the knee of the pants and flower on the top.
The Earth is a rich tapestry of interwoven, and we really don’t know which thread, once pulled, could lead to the whole thing unravelling into a disastrous heap. We will only see positive changes on our planet Earth when we, as a citizen of this world, band together to create that positive change in the way we live and the way we interact with nature.
