Cotton goes fashionable

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Cotton is one of the largest selling cash crops of India, and still for a very long time cotton garments did not enjoy the ‘fashionable’ tag among the masses. To change this mindset, the Delhi-based Cotton Council International (CCI) started the Let’s Design reality show to bring this fabric in the limelight.

This year as the fifth season of this show is about to go on air in March, the organisers collaborate with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) to award the winner with a direct entry at the Wills India Fashion Week along with `10 lakh prize money.
The theme of the show for this season is inspired by world’s five fashion capitals — New York, London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo, reveals Sachit Bhatia of CCI. He says, “This time we received around 2,000 entries from various design colleges. The shortlisted contestants have been asked to interpret their favourite fashion capital in a single garment. When we started this competition five years back, we had no idea that it will lead to a fashion design revolution of sorts. This time apart from the coveted prize money, the winner will get to showcase his/her collection at the young talent pool at WIFW Spring-Summer edition.”
“In the past few years even big designers have started utilising this indigenous fabric to its maximum potential. Fashion biggies like Rina Dhaka, Anita Dongre and others have also shown their full support to this initiative,” mentions Sachit.
Apart from apparel, the rise in production of cotton accessories like jewellery, bags and shoes by upcoming designers is also an indication that the future of this fabric is bright. Dhruv Singh, Ahmedabad-based designer and last season’s winner of the contest, adds, “With the rise in the demand of cotton-based garments, designers are focusing more of cotton products. There are new innovations and mixing of cotton with other luxe fabrics to create new organic materials. Now people are waking up to this fabric, and one can see cotton ensembles being flaunted on special occasions also.”