At Lakme Fashion Week 2025, Crcle emerged as the proud winner of the prestigious R|Elan Circular Design Challenge, partnered with the United Nations in India. Celebrating innovation in sustainable fashion, Crcle’s collection demonstrated creativity through circular design, advancing the mission of eco-conscious, waste-reducing fashion in India and beyond.
Sustainable Fashion Takes the Spotlight at Lakme Fashion Week 2025
The R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (CDC) held at Lakme Fashion Week 2025, in collaboration with the United Nations in India, crowned Crcle as its winner, honoring its remarkable contribution to sustainable fashion. This challenge, India’s leading platform for circular fashion innovation, celebrated visionary designers transforming waste materials into stylish, environmentally responsible creations.
Crcle’s winning collection stood out through its imaginative use of upcycled fabrics, innovative techniques, and storytelling that emphasized the lifecycle of garments beyond traditional consumption patterns. The showcase highlighted how circular fashion can merge artistry with environmental stewardship, encouraging the industry to rethink waste as a resource.
The competition featured multiple designers who demonstrated pioneering approaches to sustainability—focusing on reducing textile waste, promoting recycling, and fostering ecological balance within fashion. The jury, composed of industry experts and sustainability advocates, lauded Crcle’s ability to blend aesthetic appeal with powerful sustainability messages.
Important Points & Major Takeaways
Crcle’s collection employed circular design principles by utilizing materials sourced from post-consumer waste, contributing to minimizing environmental impact.
The R|Elan Circular Design Challenge partners with the United Nations in India to promote sustainable practices and align the fashion industry with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Other finalists exemplified diverse sustainable innovations, showcasing the growing momentum in eco-friendly fashion within India’s rapidly evolving fashion ecosystem.
Lakme Fashion Week continues its decade-long commitment to spotlighting sustainability, dedicating a day each season to eco-conscious fashion and industry education.
The challenge supports emerging designers with mentorship, market access, and networking opportunities to foster a greener future for fashion.
Notable Updates
The R|Elan Circular Design Challenge has expanded its reach globally since inception, reflected in a diverse finalist pool from multiple countries in the 2025 season.
The partnership with the United Nations amplifies the challenge’s impact, making it a key platform for environmental leadership in fashion.
Crcle’s victory signals the rising consumer and industry demand for circular, transparent, and responsible fashion practices.
Lakme Fashion Week 2025 reaffirmed its place as a pioneering event in promoting sustainability, creativity, and innovation, with the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge fostering the next generation of changemakers in fashion.
Sources: Lakme Fashion Week Official, R|Elan Circular Design Challenge, United Nations in India, Instagram (R|Elan), News18 Lifestyle
