R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge in partnership with the United Nations in India 2025
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, October 11, 2025: The R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge (RCDC), India’s largest sustainability award for fashion, returned this season at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI. A joint initiative by Reliance Industries Limited and the United Nations in India, the program has been at the forefront of advancing circular design and material innovation since its inception, transforming the way fashion approaches sustainability and systems thinking.
RElan CDC Runner up_Golden Feathers
Powered by R|ElanTM—the next-generation fabric brand from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)—the
Challenge 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 RCDC, RIL translates these values into tangible impact—nurturing new-age
designers who integrate responsible design, material innovation, and regenerative thinking into viable,
future-ready business models.
Mr. Hemant D. Sharma, President – Polyester Business, Reliance Industries Limited, said, “India
is uniquely positioned to lead the global dialogue on circular fashion, and the R|ElanTM 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.”
A Truly Global Cohort of Finalists
The RCDC 2025 edition proudly announced its global cohort of finalists, following an intensive round
of regional jury meets held across India, the UK, EU, and APAC & Beyond.
Representing India are Varshne B (CRCLE), Radhesh Agrahari and Muskaan Sainik (Golden
Feathers), and Rishabh Kumar (Farak). From the UK, Italy & Argentina, the finalists are Maximilian
Raynor and Martina Boero (Cavia), while Jesica Pullo (BIOTICO). This season saw over 160
applications from 10 countries, reflecting CDC’s expanding reputation as a global accelerator for
circular fashion innovation. Designers showcased ideas that combined material science, design
intelligence, and social purpose—demonstrating how creative entrepreneurship can drive climate-
positive transformation.
The Grand Jury 2025
• Kimi Dangor – Fashion journalist, editor, and consultant
• Kulsum Shadab Wahab – Philanthropist & Founder, Ara Lumiere
• Orsola De Castro – Co-Founder & Creative Director, Estethica; Co-Founder, Fashion Revolution
Payal Jain – Fashion Designer, Textile Artist & Sustainability Crusader
• Serge Carreira – Director, Emerging Brands Initiative, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la
Mode
• Shombi Sharp – United Nations Resident Coordinator in India
The final jury convened on the 8th October 2025 at the United Nations House in New Delhi, followed
by the showcase of winners on 10 October at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI.
The winner Crcle and the runner-up Golden Feathers of the R|Elan TM Circular Design Challenge
(CDC) were bestowed with a seed fund of INR 15L & INR 5L respectively, the CDC Trophy, and a 6-
month bespoke mentorship with Orsola De Castro and the team at Estethica. Additionally, the
winner earned the spotlight with a standalone showcase at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI in March
2026. The R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge's global reach is a milestone and a remarkable step
towards a more sustainable and circular fashion narrative.
Mentorship as a Catalyst for Circular Thinking
Ahead of the finale, the finalists participated in a three-month mentorship program led by experts such
as Karishma Shahani Khan, Pranav Khanna, UNEP and Tamseel Hussain. These sessions deepened
the designers’ understanding of circular systems, storytelling, and business strategy, helping them
translate purpose into practice and prepare for scale.
Partners in Purpose
The initiative is anchored in two pivotal partnerships: R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge x United
Nations in India — advancing Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and
Production through design-led innovation.
R|ElanTM, spearheading Reliance Industries Limited’s mission to mainstream sustainable materials,
reinforces 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, United Nations Resident
Coordinator in India, said, “This is the future of fashion where innovation meets creativity and churns
out designs with circularity at the core. United Nations has partnered with R|ElanTM since 2018 and I
am excited to witness how designers are taking on the environmental challenge.”
Adding to this, Jaspreet Chandok, Group Vice President, Reliance Brands Limited, said, “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.”
India’s Role in Fashion’s Circular Future
The R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge 2025 embodies the collective strength of industry,
innovation, and international collaboration. With its jury hosted at the United Nations House and its
grand showcase on India’s premier fashion platform, Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI, the Challenge
stands as a testament to how creativity, science, and systems thinking can redefine the business of
fashion.
By uniting global talent and India’s sustainability leadership, CDC continues to build an ecosystem
that turns circular design from an idea into an industry.
INDIAN FINALISTS
VARSHNE B – CRCLE
The CRCLE label was launched by Varshne B after graduating from the National Institute of Fashion
Technology, Chennai. Her collection “Symbiosis” was committed to sustainability, which offered
unisex fashion that had a timeless function. Using 100 per cent biodegradable Wegawool from the
Calotropis plant fibres, along with banana leather, handmade Korai grass bags, naturally dyed textiles,
handwoven khadi denim in kala cotton and repurposed cotton textiles. The collection had a clean-cut
silhouette that was precisely structured in earthy colours and stainless-steel scrap accessories with
post-consumer fabrics. Championing the use of waste, Varshne has a 360-degree insight when it
comes to the use of waste and turning it into useful fashionable attire, which had tags and trims that
were reused or recycled. The “Symbiosis” collection from Varshne B for her brand CRCLE projected
conscious style luxury that fitted ideally into the Circular design movement.
RISHABH KUMAR – FARAK
Rishabh Kumar, Founder and Creative Director of Farak, launched in 2021, is a Jaipur based
streetwear designer who emphasized crafts as well as handspun handwoven organic cotton and
natural dyes for his garments. Ensuring there is a minimal carbon footprint for the apparel, each
garment had a sustainable base with natural dyes and mud-based techniques that were all wrapped
in 100 per cent biodegrade packaging like wood pulp and Kraft paper. “The Alchemies of Earth”
collection by Rishabh was inspired by the ancient technique of Matka making. Keeping the inspiration
in firm control, the colours moved from deep red to warm brown as the motifs evolved from petals to
flames designs. Using Bagru, mud, natural dyes, recycled fabric waste and handloom cotton, Rishabh
used wooden blocks with a low energy non mercerized system. Rishabh Kumar’s “The Alchemies
of Earth” collection for his Farak brand gave not only life to century old wooden blocks but told a
great story of indigenous artisans to the global audience.
RADHESH AGRAHARI & MUSKAN SAINIK– GOLDEN FEATHERS
It was unbelievable how Radhesh Agrahari and Muskan Sainik’s brand Golden Feathers created
upcycled Butchery Chicken Waste into the world’s 6th natural woollen fibre. This amazing fibre has
been termed as ten times warmer, softer and more durable than the conventional and synthetic
versions. The patented 27-step chemical free sanitisation process produced a textile that had wood
free paper and a zero-waste process. The brand has so far upcycled 57,000 kgs of chicken feathers
annually, reduced carbon footprint by over 7.7 billion kgs and in three years recycled 500 tons of
Butchery Chicken Waste (BCW). The “Kora” collection displayed was all about the artistry of surface
design along with elegance, flair and flow of the creations. The brand has a large number of tribal
workers whose livelihood has been carefully taken care of. The amazing fibre is lightweight, capable
of sustaining up to -5-degree Celsius temperature and was turned into stylish stoles, shawls, quilts,
jackets, mufflers and handmade papers. The Golden Feathers brand’s “Kora” Collection by
Radhesh Agrahari and Muskan Sainik, from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mohali
graduate, who is globally acclaimed for his work, unveiled an unbelievable, unique, innovative concept
of the circular design.
