It doesn’t look like fast fashion is going anywhere anytime soon but at least it has started getting some solid opposition. The rising awareness about climate change and our role in it is beginning to affect people’s choices in clothing. New and old clothing brands have started accepting sustainability in their ethos and there are hundreds of sustainable fashion brands emerging out of India that are mixing style with responsibility.

Pieux is one among them. It is the brainchild of Pratyush Kumar who grew up all over India, courtesy of his father who was with the Indian Forest Service. With a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and a Master's in Fashion Body Wear, Pratyush has five years of experience in the industry. Before founding Pieux, Pratyush had worked as an intern with designers like Amit Aggarwal, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Meera Muzaffar, and Niharika Khan. After a debilitating illness that had him bedridden for three years, he started an eponymous vegan label in 2017 that focused on designer clothes. After some introspection and at the calling of a larger purpose, Pratyush decided to create clothing from waste materials and carpets. In 2020, Pieux was born.

Pieux follows circular design in its philosophy; a system that considers materials and production thoughtfully and utilises a product right to the end, while going one step further and repurposing it into something else. The focus of a circular design is on the longevity and lifecycle of a piece of clothing.

Through hand spinning and weaving, the brand uses handloom textiles from leftover carpet fibres and damaged saris for reconstruction and deconstruction as well as surface texturing. Working closely with artisans in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the brand employs block patterns to create silhouettes. It flaunts a collection of stylish trenchcoats, bralettes, pants, corset blazers, dresses and handbags in neutral and vibrant colours with texture as its central theme.

Pieux is also working with recycled plastic (rPET) textiles and certified organic cotton, rose, aloe vera, orange, cupro and sugarcane textiles without using any toxic substances in the process. Nearly 100 kgs of carpet waste has been upcycled to add footwear and eyewear to its collection along with the apparel.

This year Pieux was the winner of The Circular Design Challenge presented by RIElanM in partnership with FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week and the United Nations Environment Programme. The brand won against five other finalists who went through two rounds of shortlisting before being selected for the runway show. It was awarded a showcase opportunity at the next edition of fashion week and a sum of ₹20 lakhs.

Inspired by the incredible world of life under the microscope, Pieux showcased the theme of Illusion in their collection at the event. For creating an illusion in pleats they worked on the concept of lenticular print. The collection captures the details and intricacy visible under the microscope through different techniques like pleating, weaving, eco-friendly digital printing, and 3D printing.

You can find more about Pieux here.

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