Lakme Fashion Week: India leads circular fashion, material innovation at R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge 2025

New Delhi [India], October 11 : In the wake of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI, the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge (RCDC), India's largest sustainability award for fashion, has made a grand return.
A joint initiative by Reliance Industries Limited and the United Nations in India, the programme continues to remain at the forefront of advancing circular design and material innovation since its inception, transforming the way fashion approaches sustainability and systems thinking.
Powered by R|Elan™--the next-generation fabric brand from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)--the award reflects Reliance's deep commitment to driving circular economy solutions across textiles and apparel, aligning closely with the company's long-term vision of achieving net carbon neutrality by 2044.

Through the initiative, RIL has translated these values into tangible impact, thus nurturing new-age designers who integrate responsible design, material innovation, and regenerative thinking into viable, future-ready business models.
Speaking on the same, Hemant D Sharma, President - Polyester Business, Reliance Industries Limited, noted how India has been "uniquely positioned" to lead the global dialogue on circular fashion.
"R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge is a powerful manifestation of this leadership. By uniting the creativity of a global design community with the science of material innovation, we are not just redefining sustainability for the next generation; we are building a tangible pathway for the industry's future. This initiative is proving that responsible design and viable business models can, and must, go together," he added, as per the press release.

As the 2025 edition of R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge takes centre stage, it also announced the global cohort of finalists after an intensive round of regional jury meets held across India, the UK, the EU, and APAC & Beyond.
Among those representing India are Varshne B (CRCLE), Radhesh Agrahari and Muskaan Sainik (Golden Feathers), and Rishabh Kumar (Farak), whereas Maximilian Raynor and Martina Boero (Cavia) and Jesica Pullo (BIOTICO) are from the UK, Italy and Argentina, respectively.

With over 160 applications from 10 countries, reflecting CDC's expanding reputation as a global accelerator for circular fashion innovation, the show witnessed designers showcasing ideas that combined material science, design intelligence, and social purpose.
The grand jury 2025 comprised of Kimi Dangor - fashion journalist, editor, and consultant; Kulsum Shadab Wahab - philanthropist and founder, Ara Lumiere; Orsola De Castro - co-founder and creative director, Estethica; co-founder, Fashion Revolution; Payal Jain - fashion designer, textile artist and sustainability crusader; Serge Carreira - director, Emerging Brands Initiative, Federation de la Haute couture et de la Mode; and Shombi Sharp - United Nations Resident Coordinator in India.
The winners were showcased on October 10 at the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI, with Varshne B's Crcle taking the top spot with a prize of Rs 15 lakhs, and runner-up Golden Feathers won Rs 5 lakhs, respectively.
The winner also earned the spotlight with a standalone showcase at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in March 2026.
Coming back to the initiative, it has been anchored in two pivotal partnerships: R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge x United Nations in India -- advancing Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through design-led innovation.
R|Elan™, spearheading Reliance Industries Limited's mission to mainstream sustainable materials, has reinforced its ambition to achieve zero environmental damage by 2044 through innovation, recycling, and closed-loop manufacturing.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations in India, Shombi Sharp, highlighted that the initiative is the future of fashion where innovation meets creativity and churns out designs with circularity at the core.
"The United Nations has partnered with R|Elan since 2018, and I am excited to witness how designers are taking on the environmental challenge," Sharp said.
Jaspreet Chandok, Group Vice President, Reliance Brands Limited, added, "At Reliance Brands, we are proud to see the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge evolve into a truly global movement. What began as an idea to spotlight sustainability in fashion has now grown into a platform that brings together innovators, designers, and changemakers from across the world. Each season reaffirms our belief that India can lead the global dialogue on circularity, setting benchmarks and building bridges for the industry. We thank the United Nations in India for their consistent support in the common commitment to continue nurturing talent, scaling ideas, and positioning sustainability not as a niche, but as the future of fashion."
The R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge 2025 embodies the collective strength of industry, innovation, and international collaboration, standing as a testament to how creativity, science, and systems thinking can redefine the business of fashion.