Fashion Forever – towards a stylish and sustainable future

Hyderabad: November 22, 2023: The Embassy of Sweden hosted a fashion show focusing on sustainability and circular economy - a tribute to India and Sweden’s mutual interest in sustainable fashion. The event also celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations between Sweden and India.

The show brought together outfits made from India’s eco-friendly & hand-spun khadi fabric, as well as Swedish sustainable textiles and smart materials. A strong set of innovative textile pieces were showcased: clothes that are made from forest slag products and from recycled shirts, clothes that dissolve in high-temperature water; even clothes that communicate with the wearer through an integrated camera – especially targeting fashionistas that are hearing and visually impaired.

Speaking on the occasion, Jan Thesleff, Sweden’s Ambassador to India said: “The Swedish fashion scene has experienced a remarkable transition thanks to the combined efforts of designers, industry and academics who are dedicated to developing a circular fashion sector. The event “Fashion Forever” demonstrates Sweden’s commitment to sustainable development by showcasing the cutting edge of eco-friendly materials and clothing.”

The show was curated and mentored by Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India, with collections from the Centre of Excellence for Khadi, and a strong set of Swedish fashion brands: H&M, Lindex as well as the Swedish School of Textiles. A special collection named ‘Kajsa’ was designed and created by the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) with so mark the diamond jubilee of Sweden-India relations. CoEK is set up by KVIC- Ministry of MSME in association with NIFT.

Yanira Ramirez, Country Sales Manager, H&M India said: “Our collection ‘Innovation Stories’ represents a new era of style deeply rooted in sustainability. We strive to reshape the way we create and consume fashion, and this partnership reflects not only a celebration of our shared history but a bold step towards a more sustainable and stylish tomorrow.”

Anna-Karin Dahlberg, Director of Sustainability at Lindex, said: “As a major player in the fashion industry we not only have a lot of responsibility but also have great opportunities to make a difference and contribute to the transformation of the fashion industry. We are happy to see the steps that some of our partners in India are taking within social and environmental sustainability”.

The event also featured a special collection by the Swedish School of Textiles focusing on bio-based material and smart wearable textiles assisting blind and deaf people.  

"The garments have been remade from old clothes such as used workwear. We will also show garments made from new, sustainable materials such as paper yarn. In addition, we want to show the groundbreaking possibilities of smart textiles as textiles and clothing are also important in medical technology," said Susanne Nejderås, Textile Strategist at Science Park Borås and the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås.

The exhibition ‘Fashion. Forever.’, produced by the Swedish Institute, was also showcased at the event. The exhibition provided an overview of innovations from Sweden's foremost fashion pioneers.