Rajesh Pratap Singh is one of the few designers who has always incorporated the sustainability factor in his collection and he believes every industry needs to contribute to the cause to avoid the depletion of natural resources.
The designer, who will be presenting his first Indian ethnic collection at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018, believes there is a desperate need to focus on sustainability in order to maintain an ecological balance.
"Sustainability is a much wider field at the moment; the jury is still out there. Any industry which is not taking sustainability into account is obsolete. When it comes to fashion, we are one of many industries which is responsible for a lot of pollution and we are also very sensitive as an industry about it and are making amends about it.
"We can make a lot of things which are suitable whether comfort wise or functionality, and it's possible to do a lot of things with technology and also with low technology. Its how sensible or how well defined your goals are. Every industry needs to be sustainable, a mass production factory needs to be sustainable, technologies have to come in to make sure that every manufacturing process is sustainable. Its not a niche area, it's a desperate need," Singh told PTI in an interview.
The designer will be creating his collection with international sustainable fibre brand TENCEL. The fibre brand earns the eco-friendly tag owing to its innovative closed loop production system.
He says natural resources are being exhausted at a fast pace and society needs to take responsibility to save the environment by using sustainable ways of manufacturing.
"I just feel its not just me, everybody has to work in this area, these are desperate times, we have seen things deteriorate.
"The generations before us were involved with making things better for the human race, and in the process, there were some mistakes made. Our generation is the one who has realised that there is a desperate need and the next generation will probably come up with amazing ideas to negate whatever wrong was done earlier. On my part, I do whatever possible and contribute positively," he says.
Singh says the recent images of Mumbai beach filled with plastic waste "appalled" him and is signal for the human race that it is high time to change the way they treat nature.
"The truth is out there, just step out of your house and open your eyes and you will see it everywhere. I see it even in the mountains."
For his LFW collection titled 'Welcome to the Jungle TENCEL 2.0', the designer has spun the Tencel fiber through hand spinning and mechanised processes.
"We are using the yarn from five different craft areas of India and are also collaborating with two mills Arvind and Vardhaman. We are working in Chanderi, Bengal, Kota, Neemrana in Rajasthan and Orissa. We are using the fiber in a wide spectrum, from very high-tech to low tech craft areas," he adds.
LFW Winter/Festive 2018 is scheduled to happen from August 22 to 26.
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