Working in the fashion with sustainability in mind is more or less a short-lived fad. When designers Priti Hain and Farheen Rahman realised that the fashion fraternity and the general populace believe this philosophy, they decided to launch Toile last October. The multi-designer store in Mumbai showcases the work of close to 24 designers who explore everything from upcycling and recycling to handwoven and organic fabric. “Since our focus is on a singular genre of fashion, it makes it easy for brands with similar sensibilities to stock with us and, in a way, collaborate on shared causes,” says Rahman. The duo is constantly on the lookout for like-minded and new designers, and help them partner with celebrity stylists who, in turn, give them the much-needed media gaze. “Going forward, we’re looking to create a Toile Club,” she says, adding they hope to launch their online store soon, in line with the launch of their stores in Kolkata and London (in January and April respectively). Check out the six brands they admire:
PURVI KABRA
The brand boasts shirts, dresses, tops and jackets with 100% European linen, made completely in-house. Launched in 2015, it focuses on creating sophisticated, yet understated indie chic fashion.
The designers work in close collaboration with traditional artisans, employing the indigenous richness of the works of the latter to create meticulously designed products of sustainable fashion. ₹3000 onwards at Toile.
NINOSHKA
This brand stands out because of the exhaustive printing and dyeing techniques used. Launched in 2012, it’s the brainchild of designer Ninoshka Alvares-Delaney. Her collections feature products made from skin-friendly dyes extracted from pomegranates, marigold flowers, onion peels and coconuts. She collaborates with weavers from across the country and uses fabrics such as khadi, malkha, ikat and chanderi to create tops, dresses and shirts. She also employs dyeing techniques such as bandhani and shibori, and the printing techniques such as ajrakh and kalamkari printing techniques. The philosophy behind Ninoshka is to reduce, reuse and recycle, along with empowering rural artisans and creating awareness around eco-friendly fashion. ₹3,000 onwards at ninoshka.co.in
SOUMITRA MONDAL
They weave and design their own handloom fabric to create shirts, kurtas, lehngas, anarkalis and bandhgalas. A regular at the Lakmé Fashion Week, Mondal’s works are inspired by all things Indian — art, textiles and culture.
Since he started off in 2007, he has been using fabrics like fine cotton, linen and traditional silk along with other handwoven fabrics, including his favourite material, khadi. ₹3,000 onwards at Toile.
AKANKE
Akanke means ‘to know her, is to love her’, and uses waste material to create handmade brooches and neck pieces. Hand embroidered with fabric and beads, each multicoloured piece is crafted by designer Jasleen Kaur Gupta, and is based on childhood favourites such as giraffes, zebras, and fishes.
She started off as a fashion and lifestyle blogger before realising her passion lay in designing artisanal products born out of her personal quirks. ₹950 onwards, at Toile.
COLOUR ME MAD
Founded by designer Trishla Surana in 2014, the brand is unique in its attempt to revamp lacklustre footwear. Though it started off with printed and colourful slippers, in due course, Surana incorporated cork into her designs to create sandals.
Not only do the footwear improve body posture, but they also help in alleviating back, knee and ankle pain. The brand’s flagship product, Comfee, sports a cork-based footbed and is ideal for flat feet and those suffering from cones and foot swelling. ₹1,800 onwards at colourmemad.com
DOODLAGE
For us, this brand’s USP lies in the fact that designer Kriti Tula creates stunning fashion using industrial leftovers. The brand aims at re-designing, re-constructing, and recycling good quality waste into high street fashion. Since she started in 2011, Tula has been working with post-production waste, dead stock and rejected shipments. She’s best known for her use of organic cotton and corn and banana fabric, and experimenting with raw materials to create products with a variety of embroideries, panels, washes. ₹3,000 onwards at doodlage.in
