Perhaps people will design and consume more consciously: Pankaj & Nidhi on fashion during COVID-19

Days after the coronavirus-induced lockdown came into effect in March, lakhs of migrants and daily wagers landed on the highways, walking, cycling or hitchhiking to their home states hundreds of kilometers away as living in cities became impossible due to lack of work. Being a part of a manufacturing intensive industry like fashion, the designer said when they reopened their stores after the lockdown was lifted, a lot of their workers were still in their hometowns.

Pandemic has come with a lot of reality checks and Pankaj Ahuja of husband and wife designer duo Pankaj & Nidhi hopes with tighter budgets and lesser labour at disposal, the fashion industry will steer clear of "mindless consumption". The couturiers, who showcased their collection 'Talisman' for the eponymous label on the second day of the first-ever season-fluid and virtual edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) in Mumbai, said everyone realised a shift was happening towards a digital format in the advent of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Pankaj said a digital set-up helps remove the stress that comes in terms of the infrastructure and paraphernalia associated with the physical shows, while keeping in line with the safety protocols amid COVID-19. "I'm sure when things normalise by next year, hopefully, events should be back. They might be leaner, sharper, and more focused in general. Perhaps people will design and consume a bit more consciously. Everyone's finances have taken a hit, so there may not be such mindless consumption as it was earlier.

"There will still be a demand for creativity and that's what counts. People will still have jobs but they will spend less, there will be more quality. Hopefully, the consumer will appreciate what our respective brands represent in terms of product," the Delhi-based designer told PTI in an interview. There has been a great dip in the demand, Pankaj noted, which was coupled with a shortage of manpower. Days after the coronavirus-induced lockdown came into effect in March, lakhs of migrants and daily wagers landed on the highways, walking, cycling or hitchhiking to their home states hundreds of kilometers away as living in cities became impossible due to lack of work.

Being a part of a manufacturing intensive industry like fashion, the designer said when they reopened their stores after the lockdown was lifted, a lot of their workers were still in their hometowns. "In the fashion industry, a lot of us don't have the luxury of working from home. These last few months have not been easy for anyone... "Getting our teams back gradually increased the attendance and worker strength in our factories. Eventually, we were able to do what we aspired to do in a positive way with a calmer state of mind." But the bigger challenge was keeping distance, staying safe, and still being at work, he said.

"We had to reschedule time tables and still derive productivity. It's not something anyone was prepared for. On a positive note, the team adapted beautifully. Some worked from home partly, some at factories. It somehow worked. The ray of hope was to be able to design again." Their clothing line, which will debut as part of the Sustainable Fashion Day at the ongoing gala, is all about versatile comfort wear, especially at a time when many people are working from home. "Everyone is looking for an attire that they want to be comfortable in crouched up on their couch, working endlessly on their dining table over their laptop or maybe something that is versatile enough to make them quickly get up and brace for a Zoom call in safer, social distancing meet for coffee in the afternoon." The collection comprises comfortable jumpsuits and floor and midi length skirts and flowing maxi dresses along with bomber jackets in cropped length, and puff sleeve blouses.

Their collaboration with R-Elan on 'Talisman' allowed them as a brand to work with fabrics which are technologically super advanced. "They are fabrics with antimicrobial properties. You can wear them for hours, absorb sweat, make you feel comfortable," he said.

Talking about GreenGold, a fabric made by the company entirely out of recycled PET bottles, the designer said they were able to do their bit to conserve the planet by using the eco-friendly apparel. To create a new visual vocabulary, Pankaj said, they took a basic graphic element of a circle and then created geometric patterns, semi circles, and squares.

"We have done it carefully so that colours remain easy and calm on the eye. Soft tones of nude pink, brown, blue, gentle shades of green, and a lot of dusty pastels. All put together it makes for a '50s-'60s inspired art deco kind of colour palette." Through this collection, Pankaj said the idea was sending out prayers and best wishes to everyone who is having a tough time amid the pandemic. "There are some people who use talismans to keep themselves safe from harm, evil or disease. We all need love, protection, each other's support and we all have felt extremely vulnerable in these last few months. "This name probably came from that sort of an emotion wanting to nurture, protect, and hope for the safety and well being of everyone." The LFW runs through Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)