DesignfortheFuture

  When I was a child and used to travel on flights, I always used to wonder why flight attendants wouldn't wear comfortable shoes, especially when they're on their feet the entire day. When you imagine flight attendants, you always imagine people in formal shirts and short skirts wearing pencil heels. But Akasa Air, India's newest airline is breaking all sorts of stereotypes by going the athleisure wear way, keeping in mind ergonomics, aesthetics and comfort. The airline trousseau features custom made trousers, jackets and sneakers. The crew uniform comprises black trousers and short orange bandgala kurtis for female crew members, while male members get to wear orange T-shirts and black jackets. Added to this is the sustainability factor. The trousers are made from the coveted RPET fabric used by sportswear companies. The jackets feature a dash of Indian, being inspired by the Indian Bandhgala- all designed by Indian Designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. The sneakers designed by Va...

  As a textile designer, and full time self proclaimed innovation enthusiast, I have been amazed this past year, as I learnt about a wide variety of innovations that would not even have been thought possible some years ago. Imagine a fabric being made from orange peels or the tea we drink daily. Or how about some agar- agar for a bio-packaging alternative. Orange Fibre, a Sicily based company has been making leaps and bounds in innovation, in collaboration with Polytechnic University of Milan . Cellulose is extracted from the orange peels and spun into fibre, and then into yarn. It is soft, cuddly, strong and anti- wrinkle. Added to this is the fact that it is made of a natural fibre that emits essential oils, so it is quintessentially like a wearable body cream. It was patented in 2013 and won the Global Change Award two years later. Cut to the pandemic, Namya Parikh, a graduate student in Delhi, built upon this idea to come up with a bio-packaging alternative that could be made w...

  We have all heard the saying- " Diamonds are a woman's best friend", and in an India, which has always been proud and famous for its jewels both pre and post Independence (read being the Sone ki Chiriya of the world), diamonds have once again become the forefront of talks, with an NID alumni behind the scenes. SWA Diamonds glistened its way to the record-breaking pages of the Guinness Book of World Records on 5th May 2022, with a gleaming ring set with 24,679 diamonds, breaking the previous record by double the number of diamonds. The creator of the design has just an amazing history as the ring- Rijisha TV is a NID Ahmedabad alumni whose maiden effort for SWA has taken shape in just 15 days for conception and an additional 90 days for creation. The 'Touch of Ami' ( pictured below ) is a meticulous effort on a pink oyster base inspired by mushrooms and stands for eternity and longevity. The ring prototype was first created by using a plastic mold and then digita...

  I was recently given an assignment at my college, the National Institute of Design, o focus on an heirloom held by my family, for decades. That very same night, as I video called my mother frantically, for the presentation due the next day, I discovered a hidden royal treasure, that I apparently didn't know existed: a pure mulberry silk, pure silver laden Kanjeevaram madisar: the traditional 9 yard sari of South India. The z ari threads could be drawn out and made into silver jewelry , and there are many saris that my grandmother has used in that way. The silver zari looks gold in the picture because it has been electroplated with gold The madisar dates back to the 2nd century BC. It is worn in trouser style in wedding rituals, seemanthams, death ceremonies, and festivals. Customarily, the pallu is on the right side for Iyer women and on the left side for Iyengar women. It was also called ardhanareeswaram, meaning half man, half woman in particular reference to the upper half be...

  Have you heard of a fabric that comes from underneath the ocean? We're not talking rot- it can actually happen! Deep in the depths of the ocean lie squid whose genes are being used to make a fully circular designed fabric. This fabric is eco- friendly, low cost, biodegradable, 100% recyclable and does not emit microfibres. Frozen in real life- being a mermaid finally came true! Animal and plant based fibre innovations are on the rise across the industry and are reaching new , unthinkable heights everyday. Here are some of the fabrics that are being seen everywhere: Hemp fibre: It is anti- microbial, has high heat capacity ratio, is easily dyeable , and colour fast. It is insanely durable. Plus it requires no water or pesticides to grow. However, there is one issue with using it- the legal implications of growing it in several countries. Due to this reason, nettles are being used nowadays as an alternative, and they're booming, specially across the denim industry. There are ...