Lakmé Fashion Week GenNext unveils 3 winning designers
Rooted in Kachchh
Indore-based designer Mohammed Anas Sheikh’s four-year-old label 23°N 69°E’s new collection is rooted in Kachchh, where he works closely with artisans. “What sets us apart is that our craft is not outsourced as a service. It’s a co-creation process. Each garment carries both the voice of the artisan community and my own design language, resulting in pieces that are one- of-a-kind, deeply rooted, yet forward-looking,” explains Mohammed.
The collection features Kala cotton, Ajrakh block printing, hand painting, natural dyes, and mirror work embroidery. The colour palette draws from the desert and night sky in deep indigos, madder red, soot black, earthy browns, and off-whites. Silhouettes are oversized and layered with long coats, relaxed trousers, bombers, and draped shirts designed to feel timeless yet experimental. Textures move across raw handwoven bases, painted strokes, and mirror accents that catch light in subtle, unexpected ways. “I approached mirror work as texture, not embellishment. Instead of traditional motifs, mirrors are placed in abstract and geometric forms so they look at home on oversized coats or layered jackets. Combined with the depth of Ajrakh and the spontaneity of hand painting, the craft feels less like nostalgia and more like part of a new design language,” says Mohammed.
What’s sustainability for you?
We use rain-fed Kala cotton, natural dyes, and slow craft processes that minimise waste. We also give new life to rejected fabrics and scraps, turning them into garments or textile artworks. It’s not just about being eco-friendly; it’s about valuing people’s time and skills while making clothes that truly last.
What’s trending this winter season?
This winter is about oversized layers, utilitarian tailoring, and textures. Earthy tones and natural surfaces are gaining attention because people want clothes that feel crafted, personal, and global at the same time.
What inspires you?
The biggest inspiration for me comes from the artisans I work with. I’m also inspired by the culture of Kachchh, where there’s a sense of calm and peace in the way people live and work.
Tell us about you upcoming collections.
It’s a tribute to the craft of Ajrakh, while also introducing the craft of mirror work. It combines traditional block printing with hand-painting techniques and layered textiles to create new textures. We are reusing old, broken traditional blocks to achieve a vintage effect, and bringing the traditional crafts into contemporary concepts so they find a new language. Textile waste is also transformed into art pieces in the form of garments, making each piece carry both memory and experimentation. It’s a collection that brings together the past, present, and future of craft.
Wrapped in memories
Assamese designer Pranita Choudhury’s label Gaach’s winning collection, Recalling, is a personal and cultural journey into memory, rooted in the emotional landscape of her hometown in Assam. “During a recent visit, I found myself at a celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary — an event that instantly took me back to my child- hood days, when Rabindra Jayanti was a cherished tradition filled with music, poetry, and community. This experience rekindled a deep sense of nostalgia, much like Tagore’s evocative song Purono Sei Diner Kotha (memories of the old days). Recalling is a celebration of revisiting bittersweet memories of past friendships, long-forgotten letters,” says Pranita.
The collection interprets poetic feel through eco printing as an impression of old faded memories. She has used kantha stitch and crewel embroidery of dried leaves in natural fabrics like Eri silk, chanderi silk, pashmina silk, linen silk, and corduroy drenched in mustard, cream white, sage green, cobalt blue, and brown.
Winter wardrobe must-haves?
A versatile reversible jacket.
What inspires you?
Nature, travel, culture, and nostalgic elements.
Tell us about your upcoming collections.
Echoes of Kopou Phool. It is not just a flower, it’s a memory keeper. Its petals hold stories of my childhood of early Bihu mornings when the smell of jolpan filled the kitchen and laughter danced in every corner of the house. That sense of home, of tradition, of something so deeply rooted within me. Isn’t it beautiful how a single flower can carry the soul of Assam?
Reclaiming space
Designer Anam Husain’s eponymous label was founded in 2022, but the idea germinated in 2017 during a college trip to Lucknow to study zardozi. “We found plastic imitations instead of authentic craft because the artisans had moved to cities for daily-wage work. That moment stayed with me. Through my label, I wanted to bridge creativity with integrity. We’re not here for money or fame. We’re here to build a community of rebels to disrupt fast fashion and bring long-overdue recognition to India’s craft clusters and its artisans, first locally and then, globally,” says Anam.
Her winning collection Cut Putly uses Rajasthan’s Kathputlis, or puppets, as a metaphor for patriarchy, throwing a contemporary lens on the folklore of dolls carrying souls. “It’s the most personal collection I’ve created. I used only post-consumer denim, collected and donated by our community. Each faded, frayed piece holds its own story, reimagined into something raw and honest. This collection is about memory, resistance, and reclaiming space to exist freely through design. The silhouettes are sculptural and caged, capturing the tension between restraint and expression,” explains Anam.
How much have you been affected by patriarchy, and how have you used creativity as a platform to protest or reflect on society?
Patriarchy has touched many parts of my life, quietly shaping expectations, limiting choices, and creating invisible barriers. Growing up, I often felt the weight of these unspoken rules, the ‘strings’ that pull and control in subtle ways. Through my work, I explore these tensions and contradictions, using design as both protest and reflection. It’s a way to reclaim voice, to tell stories that challenge norms, and to create spaces where new narratives about identity and freedom can emerge.
What’s sustainability for you?
It’s about mindfulness and it’s layered across environmental, societal, personal, and spiritual dimensions.
What are some winter wardrobe must-haves?
It is all about chic jackets, state- ment chunky knits, a pashmina shawl, hand-knitted socks, and of course, a stolen boyfriend’s hoodie!
What inspires you?
I’m passionate about crafting subtle textures rooted in artisanal, ethical craftsmanship with a focus on sustainability. Inspired by deep memories, nostalgia, and nature’s raw, earthy elements, I create designs that feel like timeless art.