Mumbai: Sustainable clothing is often believed to be unaffordable but designer duo Abraham & Thakore say the perception is misplaced.

The couturiers presented their latest collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive which is celebrated as Sustainable Fashion Day at the fashion gala

They are honouring the 'kurta', the iconic Indian garment, using the sustainable and environmentally responsible viscose fibre, Lenzing EcoVero. The duo will launch the fibre ingredient as a part of their collection at the LFW.

"Sustainability involves many aspects. A garment that is made using sustainable methods of production can be affordable depending on the materials and the techniques that are used.

"For example, EcoVero, is a state-of-the-art technology that produces an affordable fibre, so it is not unaffordable," Abraham & Thakore told PTI in an interview.

Sustainability is about designing clothes that are classics, the duo said.
"They do not go out of fashion, so you don't keep buying clothes over and over again, you cut down on consumption." 

Recycling and upcycling are also some of the different ways which don't make a sustainable garment expensive, they added.

Kurta has been a part of the Indian culture for a long time and the designers chose the garment as they believe it is the equivalent of the T-shirts all over the world.

"It is a very versatile garment, that it has inspired a whole collection of different shapes. We were very inspired by it because it is a quintessential Indian garment.

"We hope the collection will present a fresh perspective on the kurta, and the use of EcoVero as a fabric that is very relevant to our current fashion scenario." 

For their collection, Abraham & Thakore have combined block printing with futuristic technology."Block printing, which is an ancient textile tradition, is very much a contemporary practice in India today. We have not stopped doing 'block printing' over the centuries.

"So, combining that ancient technique with the modern fabric has actually been a manageable and an interesting journey. We are printing textures on to this fabric," they said.

Actor Athiya Shetty will be walking the ramp for Abraham & Thakore. LFW closes Sunday.