Presented at JD Design Awards 2022, the collection Shui derives its name from Chinese language which means water. It is a Spring-Summer Collection designed by budding designers Sarayu T B, Saahil Luniya and Ramya N who are pursuing their final year Diploma in Fashion Design at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology Bangalore.

Their collection is inspired by the Yellow river, the second longest river in China which is heavily polluted by the release of chemical dyes and wastages from the textile industry, and the water from the river is unfit for drinking and irrigation of agricultural lands. The designers through their collection make a statement by using various colors found in the polluted river. They took a sustainable approach for their collection, spreading awareness about this issue to the public.

The colors used in the garments are dyed organically, have ruffles that depict the water, and create an ombre effect using pastel and dark colors on the garments. Shui is a high-end collection that consists of single-piece gowns with a lot of ruffles and pleats.

The collection caters to the Gen-Z and Millennial influencers who now have a major impact and influence on the audience. Recycled cotton and processed moss fabric were used in the collection since they have a shiny effect that appears like water when sunlight passes through it.

“While making the collection, non-reactive chemicals such as Alum, Soda Ash, and Vinegar were used and mixed with the organic dyes that took about 3-4 days to finish. Once the dyeing was completed, the garments had to be dried inside a closed environment so that the dyes do not wear off. The major challenge that we faced was finding tailors who could stitch the garments properly and also not charge a bomb for it”, said Sarayu T B.

The designers had to spend a lot of time explaining the designs to the tailors, sitting with them all night to ensure that the work was done on time and that there were no mistakes made. “It was a very stressful time for us but we completely enjoyed each and every moment because we were able to learn a lot, research topics we never knew, and gain a whole lot of knowledge”, said one of the designers. (https://gravityhair.com/)

Collection

Words By: Harish S Ramanathan
Batch: MA in Fashion Communication