The year 2020 kicked off with nostalgic conversations around numerous great events of the 2000s and hopeful tête-à-têtes about entering a new decade. But, in an interesting turn of events, our group discussions soon witnessed a huge shift. A shift that was unprecedented and challenging, to say the least. As if pressing pause on fashion weeks and Friday night clubbing by the second and third months of the year wasn’t enough, we also found ourselves isolating at home — some with and some without our families. However, though difficult, this time sure did teach us a few things about what really matters — and this was reflected across all spheres of life. But today, we speak fashion.
As we got more time to re-evaluate our habits that impact the planet adversely, there was a rapid surge in awareness about sustainability; and slow fashion became a widespread concept. We moved towards casual dressing instead of just following global trends; and comfort took centre stage. In a nutshell, we grew more thoughtful of the fashion we buy and wear. And LIVA, with its range of nature-based and eco-friendly fabrics, believes that thoughtful fashion is here to stay.
Although the brand has always believed in empowering fashion to be futuristic and ahead of time for years now, their latest campaign focuses on urging modern day consumers to be more thoughtful in their choices. LIVA’s belief in thoughtfully-crafted fashion, that is a perfect blend of sustainability and comfort, also found favour with Gabriella Demetriades, the founder of premium luxury brand, Deme. Liva collaborated with her for an exclusive collection called Live From Home, one that perfectly captures the mood of the times. “We’ve created a collection using LIVA’s nature-based and eco-friendly range of fabrics. According to me, ‘live from home’ is all that 2020 has been about,” she tells Vogue. “So if you want to be at home, want to celebrate, have a good time, even if it’s a Zoom call meeting or a dinner of 5 that you’re having at home, these clothes will make you look good without being too dressy or over-the-top.”
And we agree. The collection features fluid, flowy silhouettes that stand out but are still relaxed and easy to carry. There are pieces that are ideal for a quarantine birthday and then there are ones that are perfect for those virtual meetings or simply hanging out indoors. Demetriades says, “it has lots of comfortable, flowy fabrics that are breathable. For me, it was about getting into the mind of the consumer, knowing where they really are right now and sitting with my team to figure what it is that women want to wear. LIVA fabrics took all of that to another level.”
While there was a variation of LIVA fabrics that could be used for Live From Home, the designer chose five fabrics for the same. “I love how they fall and feel against the skin. They’re great for the Indian climate,” she shares. “The fact that the fabrics are all sustainable is just amazing because we’re all in this conscious frame of mind where we’re trying to reduce the amount of garments that we’re buying or looking for a more sustainable approach by using fabrics that use less water and are less harmful to the environment.”
In conjunction with all this, the collection has arrived at a time when we’re not only growing to value our planet a bit more, but also ourselves. Our comfort matters. Our expression matters. It matters that we want to live our flow instead of restricting ourselves with garments that are particularly designed to impress. Along with being sustainable, Live From Home offers that comfort that we need right now and ever, and supports a greater purpose that is connected to the environment. To cap it off, it doesn’t compromise on aesthetics and style. Its subdued, warm colour palette and prints complement most skin tones. Furthemore, the outfits are designed to suit every body type. And why not — being inclusive and thoughtful of what we create and buy is the new normal.
“Working with LIVA has been a super easy experience, and I say easy because the fabrics are just so lovely, the fall is beautiful and they’re super fluid,” Demetriades wraps her chat. “And therefore, Live From Home goes well with the modern-day women in the way that they want to feel and in the way that they want their clothing to make them feel; and it will not be damaging the environment. As a brand, LIVA is a great fabric. As a consumer, it’s definitely a great fabric to wear as well.”
This article appeared on Vogue India. You can Shop for the collection here.
