October 14, 2022 FDCI

Wealth from Waste

Repair and mend; recycle and upcycle, Pratyush Kumar’s label Pieux serenades circular fashion, giving each piece longevity.

By Asmita Aggarwal

Growing up all over the country, travelling with his father who worked in the Indian Forest Service (IFS), Gorakhpur-born Pratyush Kumar Maurya aspired to be a surgeon. Science was his subject of choice, but in Nainital’s boarding school, he discovered his love for colouring and sketching.

Motivated by his brother, he joined Pearl Academy to study design, and then further honed his skills in the De Montfort University, UK, where he specialized in corsetry and swimwear. Health issues forced him to leave his job and was on bed rest for three years after gaining experience working with Meera-Muzaffar Ali, Niharika Khan and Amit Aggarwal.

“Pieux” or pure in French is his attempt to appeal to a global audience, a brand launched in 2021 October, with sustainability at its core. Circular in nature and eco-friendly in ethos, upcycled and recycled materials are used—-plastic bottles, cotton, carpet waste to craft bags, footwear and garments. “I learnt pattern making and stitching in college and really found it tough— I thought maybe I was not cut out for this field. Today, I value that experience as I know what it takes to make a garment from ground zero,” says Pratyush.

Modularity in design has been of great interest to the young designer, assembling and disassembling garments and being able to wear them in various ways. LED lights are added, he used his experience as a science student to include various aspects on how things can work when we look at them from different angles. Thus, the FDCIxLFW line plays with the concept of illusion—“Life under the Microscope”. If you notice the colours on the fridge magnet how they change, this year Pratyush has serenaded illusion — created in pleats, printed twice then ironed, presented in such a way that they create a new identity when you see them from left, centre or right. “The line requires a great degree of research and development; we have also used recycled polyester to make bomber jackets to pants, layering to offer anti-fits,” he explains.

The most fascinating part of the line is eyewear where you can increase its lifespan—repair the parts, add new ones when you want to update your style. “Eyewear is a neglected segment, when your glasses break, you get a new pair. Now you don’t need to do that, as we will send you the broken part and even replace it for you. You can also change the colour and style, and we have printed 3 D versions as well,” says Pratyush. The same philosophy runs in his footwear where the soles can be replaced from the upper part of the sneakers. “I work with dates and timelines; I see myself going global and hopefully will make it to Paris Fashion Week by 2025,” he concludes.

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