Nexa Showcases Sustainable Fashion at Lakme Fashion Week Highlights | Fashion News

A perfect blend of sustainable fashion, music and live performance at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI. (Photos: Instagram)

There’s always one fashion showcase that captivates the audience with its creative execution. Nexa presents The Spotlight was one such runway show. An unconventional space transformed into a contemporary community circle celebrating sustainable fashion and extraordinary talent.

Celebrating a decade of Nexa presents The Spotlight, Naushad Ali, SWGT and Til returned to Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI with one of the best showcases. The live performances co-existed perfectly with the conscious collections designed for the showcase, giving each designer and performer their very own ‘Spotlight’ to shine.

Fashion designers Naushad Ali, Ankur Verma (Til) and Shweta Gupta (SWGT) share the inspiration behind their latest collections with News18.

Naushad Ali 

Collection: Continuum

Naushad Ali aimed to project his collection Continuum in motion, so the showcase saw models and performers choreographed by Atul Jindal and Big Dance Centre, blend the beauty of movement through a series of garments.

Like poetry in motion, the garments were exchanged, transformed and reinterpreted during the show. Every movement reignited nostalgia which was beautifully envisioned by Naushad’s creative vision.

Sustainable Fashion Moment : “If it’s good clothes that you buy, if there is a beautiful way it’s made, no one’s going to throw them away,” expresses Naushad Ali, adding, “My brand stands for sustainability, we don’t do seasons, we don’t do spring, summer, fall and winter. We eliminate every aspect that is designed in a way over the times to kind of buy more and throw more. We’re questioning that here.”

The ‘Spotlight’ Moment: Naushad Ali visualised the showcase from the audience point of view and was spotted sitting in the audience at the show. At the end of the showcase, Naushad entered the space and blended into the fashion narrative. Thus, making it a one of a kind spotlight moment.

SWGT

Collection: Look Closer

When SWGT by Shweta Gupta presented its latest collection, Look Closer, the space embraced the beauty of Indian crafts and textiles. Choreographed to the sound of percussion instruments, performed by the members of Boombay Djembe Folas, the showcase was an enlightening experience inspired by nature and melody.

“I chose to call the collection Look Closer because I really wanted to bring attention to things which are unseen. Like we do this pleating, we do this pintuck. So many times people assume that this is a print, but if you only look closer then you’ll realize it’s embroideries,” shares Shweta Gupta. The delicate pintucks and the perfect pleating were crafted on handwoven mulberry silk and soft cotton from West Bengal. Shweta also included Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh that set a fluid, architectural and structured narrative for the collection.

Sustainable Fashion Moment: Shweta Gupta is known for working with clusters from across India and it’s the intricate detailing in her designs that makes each collection extraordinary. “As a rule, I will only pick up a craft or a cluster, who I can continue to work with. I don’t like to do one collection with somebody and then switch to somebody else,” expresses Shweta Gupta.

The ‘Spotlight’ Moment: The appliqués, hand folded and made by the women artisans in Uttar Pradesh was the highlight of this beautiful collection, envisioned by Shweta Gupta.

Til by Ankur Verma 

Collection: Breathe

Expect the unexpected when it’s a Til by Ankur Verma showcase. The audience got goosebumps as the showcase opened with two performing artistes (friends of designer Ankur Verma) dressed in ensembles crafted from drapes that were used as part of the set design at the Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI Delhi show in 2024.

Known for his love for layering, Ankur presented 16 looks but if you look closer there are more then 70 variations. As a zero-waste brand, the collection Breathe had elements that celebrated Til’s sustainable approach to upcycled fashion. “I like layering and I like drama. Who doesn’t? Fashion week is about going all out, showcasing your art. I wanted to be creative and show my drama and I did,” expresses Ankur Verma.

Sustainable Fashion Moment: What’s Ankur Verma’s superpower? Well, he can create a masterpiece from upcycled materials. This showcase saw him re-introduce the footwear he had used in his GenNext show. The upcycled shoes were painted and enhanced with lace to add drama to the look.

The ‘Spotlight’ Moment: The textile dollhouse on the ramp was the highlight of the Breathe collection. Crafted completely from waste and upcycled materials, the dollhouse featured all the essentials needed in a house, bedroom corners, kitchenware, dining tables, lamps, curtains and cushions.