Anita Dongre in Tencel

The grounds of Taj Lands End, Mumbai were covered in flowery decor with peonies and a variety of colourful carnations that covered the green lawns. The setting of Lakme Fashion Week’s Sustainable Day was the stage for Anita Dongre’s ready to wear collection – A Summer Reverie. “The inspiration for the line comes from a summer garden. It is florals reinvented,” says the designer.

Foraying into yet another sustainable fabric – after collaborating with Elan to create a sustainable T-shirt made from recycled plastic bottles in 2018 – the House of Anita Dongre hopes to be more eco-friendly. Speaking of her collection, the eponymous brand owner says, “It’s designed to be worn to weddings, or a resort, or a brunch. Most of them are made from the sustainable fibre tencel.”

The runway saw sensibly tailored garments for summer with floral hues of yellows, peaches, blues and pinks, among other colours. Easy separates and long flowing silhouettes were designed to be mixed and matched. The collection for men is in sync with the women’s collection and includes print-on-print ensembles with symmetrical floral motifs.

The fabric produced by Lenzing, Austrian fibre company, is said to be a closed loop production and biodegradable and compostable. “I visited the Tencel plant (flagship brand of Lenzing) in Austria and found their processes responsibly sustainable,” says Dongre. Creation of the collection began with tencel fibres used along with silk to produce fine sustainable blends. “Sustainability is the need of the hour. We put together an officer and a team last year to ensure every purchase is a sustainable one,” Dongre says, adding, “Customers should support brands that are turning sustainable. If we continue living the way we do, I don’t think generations to come will have a future.”

Looking at a long term partnership with Lenzing, the Indian fashion designer’s luxury brand hopes to partner with many other eco-friendly companies. “As part of our sustainable initiatives, we will be partnering with a lot of large scale manufacturers who are producing fabrics and fibres sustainably,” Dongre concludes.