Fashion designer Deepika Govind talks about her latest sustainable collection and her journey into the world of fashion

Fashion designer Deepika Govind says her entry into the world of fashion was quite accidental. I always had that innovative spirit, so it came naturally to me.” Ever since she started out, Deepika fell in love with Indian craftsmanship and weaving techniques, which clearly reflects in her collections. “The 2000s brought the excitement of working with Khadi blended with another natural fibre called Tencel, to create a cosmopolitan fabric which was later showcased at the 2001 Lakme Fashion Week.” Her 2012 Lakme Fashion Week collection, titled Pop Patola,was a monumental one. “It was such an astounding experience, I even travelled to interior Gujarat at that time and a lot of my work was inspired by the intricate jali darwazas.” Deepika has been a huge advocate for sustainability; for her 2011 collection titled Eri the Peace Silk: A Traveller’s Collection, she used softened coarse Eri silk, an eco-fibre where the silkworm is not killed, to create a line of stoles, shawls and saris. “When I went see the Muga silk cocoon farms and weaving centres in Udalguri, a small district in Assam, I was shocked to find myself in a farm where ULFA members had just surrendered and plans for their rehabilitation were being discussed by the officials.” “Another time, I was visiting Eri weaving centres in Kokrajar, Bodoland.