Fashion goes back to its bare basics

On World Environment Day, we look at how eco-chic is the new cool, organic buzz is louder, and sustainability, the need of the hour

Go back to basics, go back to keeping it simple. As we start a new chapter of HT City, we look at how fashion is fresher, cleaner and broken down to its elements. Handloom is winning its war over powerloom as artisans reclaim embroideries, fabric takes on a breathable form and the style conscious stress on eco-behaviour.

On World Environment Day, we look at how eco-chic is the new cool, organic buzz is louder, and sustainability, the need of the hour(Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

On World Environment Day today, we see fashion from a green lens. This lens has two facets – that of sustainability and an organic make. “Organic is something which is produced without the use of insecticides and chemical interventions, the biodiversity of the soil stays intact and you don’t harm nature.

Sustainability involves minimum impact on environment, maximises employment and helps in the empowerment of craftsmen,” explains designer Rahul Mishra. In India, designers are turning back the clock and taking decisions that are consciously-motivated. “Traditional Indian crafts are a treasure, and it is the need of the hour to think sustainably. Earthy colours and natural fabrics are trending and sustainable fashion is a conscious decision for the future,” says designer Anita Dongre.

The Green Team

(L-R) The models are wearing Urvashi Kaur and Grassroot by Anita Dongre; Photo: Raajessh Kashyap/HT

They laugh. They share secrets. They distract the sweltering sun with their effortless, fluid fashion. Here are the BFFs, the eco-chic stylistas who light up the Capital with fashion that breathes, fashion that is unpretentious and celebrates its environment. Here, the BFFs celebrate by stepping out in 17 mts of handloom textiles, a base fabric of Khadi cotton with sheer chanderi panels (left) and dipping in the indigenous goodness of indigo in cotton georgette (right).

As they chartered the lanes of Lajpat Nagar, (amid quick sips of cooling coconut water) we caught the two immersed in talks of changing the world, one natural fibre at a time. The Urvashi maxi has been hand block-printed with a customised print, done in Sanganer, Rajasthan. Dongre’s creation includes layers of cloth being encased in fine muslin. Pressed, folded & stitched.

The culture crooner

The model, in an Anavila handwoven linen sari; Photo: Raajessh Kashyap/HT

She can drape her dreams into reality like no other. She ditched embroidery and the notion that the lovable sari should be reserved only for special occasions. The Dilliwaali is a woman with purpose, and seamlessly glides in lightweight linen, with just a hint of shimmer-perfect sheen. Here she is, lighting up the Shisha Gumbad.The model is wearing a sari by Anavila Misra, made of handwoven linen with metallic borders.

The Freewheeler

Summer is all about saying no to fitted silhouettes. Here, the Péro by Aneeth Arora dress is made of khadi, with a checkered print and beadwork flower detailing; Credit: Raajessh Kashyap/ HT

She doesn’t judge a book by its cover. Well, the truth is, she doesn’t have the patience to enter the novel world, with her own shades of fantasy running through her mind, ready to leap into an alternate reality. Her heart is open, unfettered. She gave up synthetic dreams long back. For her, it’s all about anti-fits and the earthy flavour of natural fibres. The model is wearing a Péro dress.

The wander-luster

“Ikat is a labour of love from the villages of Puttapaka and Koyyalagudem near Hyderabad. A poetic weave that demands mathematical precision, elevated aesthetics, unending patience and supreme skill,” Dongre explains. (Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

For her, a one-way ticket to anywhere is a fix for everything. From nursing a broken heart to celebrating the little quirks of nature — she likes to surround herself with unfamiliar sounds and smells, finding home amid the unknown. The wander-lust loving girl is independent, but not alone, vulnerable, but not afraid. Here she is, showing off her styling tricks for a perfect day amid Delhi’s greens. She picks a floor-length cotton jacket by Grassroots with an all-over Ikat print. Easy breezy, and summer perfect, she turned the jacket into a dress by cinching it with a broad gold better. The Grassroot by Anita Dongre jacket is from the Ikat Sonnets collection

Styling & Concept: Snigdha Ahuja

Makeup: Ishika taneja

Hair: Bharti Taneja

Models: Juliana, Cristina and Nikieta (Strawberrifox Model Management)