Why Smriti Irani is a fan of Lakme Fashion Week

Day 2 at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018 was dedicated to sustainable fashion.

FULL COVERAGE: Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018

Smriti Irani began an #IWearHandloom campaign online in 2016 soon after she took over as the Union Minister of Textiles.

Lakmé Fashion Week inaugurated Sustainable Fashion Day on Day 2 of its Summer/resort 2018 show with an action-oriented conversation on northeast India and catalyzing sustainable fashion in collaboration with United Nations in India.

The day kicked off with an event attended by Jaspreet Chandok, vice-president and head-fashion, IMG Reliance; Osama Manzar, founder, Digital Empowerment Foundation; Helen Silvester, director West India, British Council; Orsola De Castro, Founder Fashion Revolution; Yuri Afanasiev, resident coordinator, United Nations in India; and Sita DeviReddy, founder, GoCoop.

Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani, who sent a message from New Delhi, said, 'I am extremely elated that the Lakmé Fashion Week, in conjunction with UN in India, is celebrating the potential of the North-East and specially focusing on sustainable fashion. I think given the clarion call across the world where more and more conscientious consumers want to enjoy luxury, want to enjoy the magic of every weave but not at the cost of environment, ensuring that women specially who are working in this sector get due justice for their hard work. This is a very, very important conversation, specially to take place at the Lakme Fashion Week where the world comes to see the power, the magic of Indian fashion.

'So, here's wishing the team at Lakme Fashion Week and UN in India my best so that these conversations can fructify for pointed actions in the future.'

Here's how LFW highlighted fashion with a conscience.

Northeast Mojo

LFW featured designers from the seven sisters of northeast India -- Khumanthem from Manipur, Kuzu from Sikkim, Daniel Syiem from Meghalaya, Jenjum Gadi and Exotic Echo Society from Nagaland, Aratrik Dev Varman from Tripura, Sonal Dubal from Assam.

The show was supported by former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who walked for designer Karma Sonam's Kuzu.

Also read:
Who is the man Bhaichung Bhutia considers the most fashionable person ever?

Photograph: PTI

Photographs: @LakmeFashionWk/Facebook

Padmaja

Padmaja Krishnan's 'Afternoon' was a tribute to the radical drawings by Nasreen Mohmedi, the pioneering Indian artist.

The designer behind the Padmaja label worked around a colour story comprising carbon black, ivory, shades of grey, taupe and rosewood that merged effortlessly into the garments.

Her fabrics were specially woven, natural dyed, organic, cotton and linen. And she created unconventional textures on them with a million stitches that required long man-hours.

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

The 'Good Loom'

GoCoop -- which won India's first National Award for handlooms marketing (e-commerce) for showcasing the best textiles and products from the country -- unveiled its 'the good loom' brand at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018.

On the ramp from 'the good loom' line were the best fabrics by top master weavers in India. The look was traditional with a modern twist.

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

Hemang Agrawal

Hemang Agrawal showcased his collection 'Unrevive', which was woven in collaboration with Benares handloom weavers.

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

Maku

Designer Shantanu Das's Maku Textiles presented 'inTRANSIT' a collection with natural artisanal textiles crafted into a series of wearer-friendly silhouettes.

The showstopper of the collection was actress Tillotama Shome, who delivered a powerful monologue about how people let life pass by in the hurry of running ahead.

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

Northeast Mojo

Padmaja

The 'Good Loom'

Hemang Agrawal

Maku

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