RIMANSHU PATEL- THE ART OF SUSTAINABILITY
Rimanshu Patel is a modern fashion designer with a forward thinking approach. His training in the National Institute of Fashion Technology and Istituto Marangoni has allowed him to broaden his knowledge of contemporary and resourceful designs. The collection reflects the use of sustainable resources by making each piece adaptable to fit in with any style decision. Every woman will want this collection in their wardrobes as it is customisable and flexible.
Who are your main influences?
I am mainly influenced by my Grandfather, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Marilyn Monroe and Karl Lagerfeld. These charismatic personalities are an integral part of my life. They have played a significant part in shaping my life. Innovations in science and technology and changing political, social environment also affects me.
ne of your focuses of the collection is sustainability. What made you want to design customisable garments?
Sustainability is a global concern because of increasing waste, exploitation of resources, and carbon emissions. Fashion and the textile industry is the fifth-largest industry in the world and also one of the huge contributors to greenhouse gases. Therefore, I wanted to reduce the waste-generated and also to increase the life-cycle of the product. Hence, reducing the exploitation of available resources. The biggest advantage or disadvantage of fashion is, it’s changing. My challenge was to provide different looks for multiple occasions out of a single garment, and also to fit different sizes. So this whole idea of customisable garments was generated. After trying multiple ways, the modular concept worked. I have used tabs with snap buttons to provide easy and secure customisation. Tabs are of elastic so the same garment can be flaunted by two sisters of different sizes like size 8 and size 10.
What do you like and dislike about the industry?
One of the things I like about this industry is that it is very diverse, progressive, and shows different aspects of a person’s life. It provides a platform to people from every culture to showcase their art and enrich it. The fashion industry incorporates the aesthetic sense into the human body, which makes it unique. It provides a means of self-expression. I don’t like the fierce competition amongst the brands on the cost of nature and people.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Well, I want to create a sustainable brand based outside of India. In 5 years time, I want to be an ambassador for change and push the fashion industry more towards sustainability by introducing new and easy ways of doing and creating fashion. My main motive is to make people realise the importance of sustainability. I think to create an impact, it’s important to make a change at the ground level, so my target is to shape the demands of the customers but the biggest challenge is to control the prices of the products. I’m working on it with some of the biggest manufacturing units in India and also with the traditional artisans.
