Ramie, a wild plant that grows in the state of Meghalaya, was used until recently to make fishing nets, and for a very long time, its rigid nature did not allow it to be used for clothing.
Alumni Ambassador Hemant Sagar initiated The Meghalaya Ramie Project during Bonjour India 2017 – an artistic, cultural, educational and social initiative. He started researching and experimenting on this fiber, eventually bringing together 17 Indian designers to create unique and innovative pieces from this fiber. This collaboration resulted in the curation of an exhibition ‘From Fiber to Fashion’, funded by the government of Meghalaya and presented at the Embassy of France in India, organized as part of the 3rd edition of Bonjour India. This presentation aimed precisely to celebrate the introduction of this new fiber in the Indian textile industry.
This project has now evolved into a full-blown movement to develop this widely unused natural fiber into a mainstream textile. It is envisaged to go through a genes editing process to obtain a 100% Carbon neutral footprint that will not only ensure long-term livelihood for Meghalaya farmers but also contribute to a clean environment as a first natural textile that does not harm the planet in any way.
The collection created as a part of this exhibition will be travelling to the town of Calais (North of France) and will be presented at The Calais Museum for Lace and Fashion from 17 June 2022 to 31 December 2022.
Lecoanet Hemant was founded in Paris by Frenchman Didier Lecoanet and Indo-German Hemant Sagar in the early Eighties – they opened their first shop on Faubourg Saint-Honoré just opposite the Elysée Palace. After showing the first collection with Cartier Haute Joaillerie they became members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the governing body of High Fashion.
The unusual amalgamation of east and west with a recognizable signature drape reminiscent of the sari, made Lecoanet Hemant very soon the choice of French aristocrats, Middle Eastern Royalty as well as the international jet set.
They won the Golden Thimble known as Le dé d’or (the Oscar equivalent of Haute Couture), the Swarovski Creation prize 2005, and the Designer of the year award, Miami 2007. Their creations are in the permanent collection at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Deutsches Museum, Berlin, and the Musée des Arts de la Mode, Paris.
In the year 2000 Lecoanet, Hemant decided to pursue their long-standing dream of going into Ready to Wear and moved to India to set up a high tech factory with manufacturing principles inspired by Haute Couture techniques. This is where they manufacture their own lines:
- Lecoanet Hemant, the Couture Line
- Genes Lecoanet Hemant, their online collection is only available in India and
- Ayurganic, their organic Spa line made out of Ayurvedic fabrics