W
ith the Sustainable Fashion
Day that was established
at the Lakmé Fashion Week
(LFW) a few years ago,
the collaboration between
artisans and designers has taken an interesting
path wherein the former are given due credit for
their craft and the latter are able to present an
innovative and fresh approach to the collections,
thereby creating a win-win situation on all fronts,
and helping the crafts get the attention that they
richly deserve on the national and international
fashion scene.
KICKING OFF THE DAY
Day Two at LFW Winter/Festive
2017 was reserved for sustainable
fashion, and this time five master
craftsmen of Paramparik Karigar
were paired with five talented
young designers for the opening
show, ‘Craft Is Cool’. The result was
a great fusion of heritage crafts
presented in a stylish contemporary
mode.
The two-decade-old journey
of Paramparik Karigar spans the
expanse of the country discovering
talented craftsmen, who have
quietly nurtured the heritage
crafts of our land. The Paramparik
Karigar initiative was undertaken
to provide sustained livelihoods
to the craftsmen, and ensure
the participation of their next
generation in the continuation of
the heritage.
Ratna Krishna Kumar,
management committee member,
said, “Paramparik Karigar is proud
to be associated with LFW Winter/
Festive 2017 and would like to
applaud its endeavour in promoting
our craftsmen and presenting
handloom textiles/crafts in an
innovative and contemporary form.”
Jaspreet Chandok, vice-
president and head of fashion
at IMG Reliance, remarked, “We
are delighted to have Paramparik
Karigar on board for this growth
and empowerment initiative which
brings next generation artisans
aligned with emerging new market
trends, so that they can sustain
themselves in a rapidly changing
and evolving retail scenario.”
The five pairs created a stylish
mélange of crafts, weaves and
contemporary fashion. Inspired by
peace and harmony the artisans
and designers not only highlighted
the crafts, but also their creative
sensibilities that revealed a graceful
hint of Japanese and oriental
nuances to match the requirements
of the season. The variety of styles,
were accessorised with beautiful
vegan shoes designed from the
fabrics of the show by Kurio.
Overall, there were five stories in all.
NOVEMBER 2017 FIBRE 2 FASHION | 129