The event, held during Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakme Fashion Week in association with FDCI, featured seven finalists who displayed remarkable creativity. Other finalists were Wenyan Xu and Meng Wang (Saltless), Tsang Fan Yu, Silvia Acién (ACIEN), Gautam Malik (Jaggery) and Chandini Batra (A Blunt Story).
Ritwik Khanna's Rkive City label won the sixth R|Elan Circular Design Challenge, with Drishti Modi and Rashmick Bose's Lafaani as runners-up. The event, held during Lakme Fashion Week, featured seven innovative finalists. Since launching in 2018, the challenge promotes sustainable fashion globally, partnering with organizations such as the UN and the British Council.
“I think, essentially, winning for us was just a matter of us knowing what we believed in, and it is for everyone else as well. The clothes we make and the recycling we do should encourage people in the next generation to believe that this is possible. I really appreciate everyone who has appreciated it,” Khanna said.
Since its inception in 2018, R|Elan CDC has become a leading platform for emerging sustainable fashion talent to showcase their circular innovations globally. In its sixth edition, R|Elan CDC has traveled the world, partnering with global entities such as the British Council, Istituto Marangoni and Redress to search for the most interesting innovators. These cross-continental trips hosted impressive juries attended by industry experts and key international media in London, Milan, Hong Kong and Mumbai, all coming together to select the CDC batch of 2024. Presented by R|Elan, the brand of next-generation fabrics from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), in partnership with the United Nations in India, CDC is committed to promoting a greener, more sustainable future by fostering eco-conscious creativity that addresses the pressing issue of waste and carbon footprint. carbon from the fashion industry.
The winner and runner-up will be mentored by Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution and creative director of Estethica; And this influential association will provide invaluable guidance to designers.
“At Reliance Industries, we are committed to being pioneers in sustainability. R|Elan CDC exemplifies our dedication to fostering innovation and circularity in the fashion industry. By identifying and supporting eco-conscious designers and incentivizing scalable circular solutions, we are working towards a greener future. “Our efforts to reduce waste and instill sustainability in fashion reflect our broader goal of creating a circular economy that benefits both the environment and society.” Hemant D Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Ltdsaying.
“In response to the urgent call of the UN Secretary-General to 'make peace with nature', the UN in India is a proud partner of the CDC. For its second edition, CDC once again joins our partners in the different regions, highlighting designers and entrepreneurs who practice circularity and sustainability in the textile and fashion industries. “Together, we are helping to drive innovations in energy efficiency, closed-loop systems and the use of ethically produced materials, ensuring that social and environmental impacts align with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, Indiasaying.
“Together with R|Elan and the United Nations in India, we have awarded CDC India the largest global award for sustainability and circular fashion. CDC drives climate action by discovering and mentoring circular fashion designers and innovators, helping them scale, and empowering them to make real impact. We envision transforming this platform into a forward-thinking global beacon of excellence, inviting innovative partnerships around the world.” Jaspreet Chandok, group vice president of Reliance Brands, which organizes Lakme Fashion Week in association with the Fashion Design Council of India.saying.
CDC's cross-border partners include the British Council for the United Kingdom, Redress for Hong Kong/Asia Pacific, and Istituto Marangoni for the European Union.
“We are delighted to collaborate with CDC for the second year, joining Reliance Industries and the United Nations in India, to support the next generation of designers, who champion a more inclusive, responsible and regenerative industry. “We hope this platform will act as a catalyst for creativity, showcasing a diversity of sustainable practices from different geographies, as well as facilitating the exchange of knowledge on alternative fashion systems,” he said. Hannah Robinson, Department of Architectural and Fashion Design, British Council.
“We are delighted to support CDC and Reliance Industries in organizing the second APAC jury event. Our mission at Redress is to educate and empower designers and consumers to pave the way towards a circular fashion industry. As Asia is the largest producer and consumer of textiles and clothing in the world, our work is strategically focused on Asia and we are honored to participate in the Asia-Pacific semi-final of this important initiative that recognizes our talented designers of the future . ” Dr. Christina Dean, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Redresssaying.
“We are pleased to partner with CDC and Reliance Industries to host the second edition of the CDC European Selection Chapter. As one of the leading fashion-focused educational institutions, our mission is to empower the next generation of designers to create a culture of circularity and sustainable fashion and an eco-mindedness. Thanks to the past collaboration of one of our prominent fashion designer alumni, Rahul Mishra, with Reliance Brands, who supported him due to his strong commitment to sustainability, we are honored to participate in this year's CDC edition with our alumni emerging designers who effectively represent this mentality”, stephanie Valenti, general director of the Marangoni Institute, saying.
Fiber2Fashion (RR) News Desk
