SUSTAINABLE FASHION?
It is exciting to create a sustainable and ethical fashion that appeals to the new generation, but it is not cheap. It is a way of life, and if the brand’s core values align with the sustainability goals, they outline the price clearly. Sustainable fashion is expensive and a luxury for most; brands promoting mass consumerism or fast fashion are inherently unsustainable,” Charu elaborates.
CHALLENGING BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE
“We need to use our voice to educate and expose people to more such inclusive and sustainable practices. I strongly believe fashion needs to go back to its honest form and intention, creating designs with the end consumer in mind, less trenddriven, which often makes it disposable and creates wastes, less of excess, more classic and more timeless.”
When talking about sustainability in fashion, we are talking about all the chemical-free, biodegradable, and environment-friendly products that don’t harm the environment. Hyderabad-based Raghuram Kuchibhatla, founder of Yes!poho believes that when the population is huge and the natural elements are in numbers, everyone can get a sustainable product. “By definition, sustainability is for something to endure the test of time and remain persistent. When we talk about luxury, it is about preserving art and respecting the environment at the same time,” Raghuram explains. “For instance, in the handloom and handicraft industry, products are sustainable and luxurious.
Elaborating further, he points out how handmade products are natural and more time-consuming. “So, being sustainable and inclusive in these superfast-changing trends is challenging. In India, if you are buying from weavers and cutting the middle man’s cost, the not-so-rich sections of our society can
afford it too,” he adds.
QUALITY OVER
QUANTITY
Socially popular actors, designers, stylists and other influential personalities hold tremendous power to sway popular opinion for their fashion inspiration and direction.
According to designer Pranay Baidya, they have been indirect crusaders for the survival and resurgence of traditional art forms. “We need to use our voice to educate and expose people to more such inclusive and sustainable practices. I strongly believe fashion needs to go back to its honest form and intention, creating designs with the end consumer in mind, less trend-driven, which often makes it disposable and creates wastes, less of excess, more classic and more timeless,” adds Pranay.
According to the designer, fostering crafts, regional handloom and local enterprise continues to be the most viable option for rejuvenating the regional and rural economy. “They are sustainable, the price points are usually affordable to many, and have a low carbon footprint. One ticks all boxes that are a prerequisite for an ethical trade paradigm, all the while strengthening rural hands that are the backbone of our industry,” Pranay points out.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
Although luxury labels have always pitched themselves to be “exclusive”, they are now forced to re-think their strategies for business and sustenance of the brand. From ditching animal products like fur and leather to contributing to CSR activities and adopting eco-friendly practices, designers across the world are competing to be ethically luxurious. Designer Mithi Kalra highlights, “With the changing markets in recent times, brands now need to be sustainable. Consumers have become aware and exposure to online media and shopping has led to increased competition. Today, we have to provide the best to our clients not just in terms of product quality but also as the whole shopping and service experience once they step into our stores. The way Indian textiles are pitched globally has helped the industry grow and become more affordable for everyone. It will need more support from the government, consumers, and fashion pioneers to ensure fair wages for weavers and preserve our rich heritage of crafts.”
— PRANAY BAIDYA, Designer
Divorces are usually a painful affair, but Tejuswini Chowdhury (aka Chinni) and Kiran Raju seem to have become the poster couple for an amicable separation. They recently posted a photo of themselves on social media, having just finalized their separation, with a touching message that they still remain best friends for life. This elicited many messages of support from their pals and well wishers, who have been die-hard supporters of the popular duo.
This is how civil, new age couples are. They part ways but remain good friends.
W hile on the topic of Kiran-Chinni, the two had together owned a popular membersonly club at a star hotel in Banjara Hills — Pudding and Mink. The club, known for its elite list of members and quaint passcode-onlyentry system had become a favourite with our city’s richie-rich youngsters a few years back, but then shut down much to everyone’s dismay.
Good news now for party animals as Pudding and Mink is back with a bang, with the promoters of Sanctuary, Abhishek Vupulla, Gokul Chowdary and Arjun Veeramachaneni partnering with Kiran to restart operations. The trio have been hosting intimate pre-launch tasting sessions at the place and everyone on the social scene is looking forward to the opening of the place. We only hope they manage to keep it exclusive and separate the wheat from the chaff when choosing their members.
raiser held recently. bought a team.
W ho made their presence felt at Formula 4 regional championship event’s inauguration recently? None other than billionaire industrialist Megha Krishna Reddy and wife Sudha — who is quite the headturner at social dos.
Formula 4 is a sport that arguably consumes money like no other on the planet and the power couple were all smiles at the high profile curtain News is they have
ripriya Reddy hosted an intimate group of friends and family at Tiger Lilly to celebrate hubby Aditya’s birthday this week. The party was a great success, thanks in part to the lip
WHAT
Srinivas Naidu
WHERE did and wife
jet off to for a holiday this week? To
Maldives.
WHEN are celebrating their son’s engagement? This Sunday, at the Falaknuma Palace.
AnilParvathy
is everyone checking out a popular spa’s insta account voraciously all of a sudden? Because they say you can see all the billionaire wives and Tollywood starlets in hilarious positions getting their hair dyed, cut etc on the page. We wonder if the customers know they'’re being filmed while getting their
hair done there? smacking food served,
taken from the menu of their upcoming Asian restaurant that everyone is looking forward to with much
anticipation.
A nother do that had all the young elite of the city partying away at was the birthday of Ashrith Lagadapati. A rollickingrager of a celebration, it marked Ashrith’s 30th birthday with much aplomb, and had many guests saying they’d had a fun time at a party after ages.
Ahot topic of discussion these days among watch collectors in the city is the list of suckers who’ve been paying top dollar premium prices for hard-toget pieces. The watch on everyone’s list is the Patek Philippe Nautilus and many have been going out of their way to get their mitts on it. The watch usually has a waiting list of several years and people wanting to cut the queue have been shelling out almost 10 times the retail price, just for the bragging rights that come along with it.