This West Bengal designer ups her glitter game by upcycling sequins for her new collection

Designer Priyal Turakhia from West Bengal has won the Fashion Forward Fellowship 2021 for her Nirantar collection titled ‘Could Be’ which uses an upcycled alternative to single-use plastic

“Sequins are a by-product of petroleum and come from PVC. They are not sustainable, either in their manufacturing or disposal,” says designer Priyal Turakhia, going on to explain how sequins embellishing party wear can lie in landfills for hundreds of years without decomposing. Priyal recently won the Fashion Forward Fellowship 2021, awarded by The ReFashion Hub and YWater, for her capsule collection, ‘Could Be’ by Nirantar. In it she incorporates sequins, created from upcycled water and cosmetic product bottles, in handwoven organic cotton from Kutch. A zero-dyeing approach addresses the issue of water pollution caused by the dyeing industry.