Can footwear take the world to a greener and less polluted future? At least one student of footwear design thinks so. He has therefore taken a cue from mythological times of The Ramayana and created a pair of wooden slipper.
Abhisek Shastri's slippers were one of the creations of students that models sashayed down the ramp in when the All India Rubber Industries Association, partnering with the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Bantala, under the ministry of commerce and industries, hosted a footwear fashion show at Swabhumi, showcasing new designs and technologies in the sector.
"I was thinking how I could contribute in my professional field to make the world a bit pollution-free and make some difference. So I explored how wooden slippers, which are said to have been used by Lord Rama himself, could be revived with a modern, stylish look. Wood is a natural product and decomposes easily, so I made the shoe from rubber wood and ceder wood, and named the product Abbot," said Abhisek, a Lucknow boy studying in the 4th year at FDDI.
Rang Manch at Swabhumi was aglitter with lights, and alive with sound and action as the new year was ushered in with some unique creations by the budding footwear designers.
The show kicked off showcasing latest designs in sports shoes, mainly sneakers.
Then Ayushi Kumari of FDDI presented a stylish court shoe, made of gorgeous red velvet fabric with beautiful lace and snake print leather at the heel. It was called Wild Love.
Saakshi Singh’s design which came second
Saakshi Singh had created a pair of detachable long boots with the epic theme Odyssey. The boots can be used at different lengths according to mood and the moment.
Qudsia Nameera made an appearance with a calf-length boot on the theme Medusa, influenced by the famous winged female monster in Greek mythology. (see right)
Manswita Sinha tried to capture the serenity of the ocean with the theme Oceanic Beauty. She was inspired during her trip to the Andamans in 2018 and decided to recreate her impression in her shoe. Teal-coloured leather was chosen to make the upper part of the boot signify ocean while the lower part was decorated with pearls in place of sea shells.
Manswita was named the evening's winner. The girl wants to launch her own fashion footwear brand some day, she told The
Telegraph Salt Lake.
Judging the event Naushad Khan, director of Ashoka Footwear, said: "Designs made by the FDDI students can be compared with world-class Italian designs. We need to encourage them and provide them a good platform to promote their work."
"We are hosting such an event for the first time to showcase budding talents. This sector has huge potential as far as the requirement of the country, even in creating white colour jobs. I hope such venture would encourage the youngsters to join the field." Arun Sinha, MD, FDDI said.