Nirali
Mehta
Client: Stretchery 2017 Field: Concept direction & Design/ Upcycling / Art Direction
Off the grid
Stretchery is an Indian, home-grown, sustainable fitness wear brand that aimed to positively impact the maker, wearer, and the environment. We introduced a new category of natural fibers, sustainable choices and upcycled materials in activewear, In India ( in 2014).
Being one of the first brands to work with organic, regenerative materials, still our story wasn’t getting out. Thus we needed to go beyond just launching products but needed to tell people what we were doing, by showing it to them. So, we developed a strategy of designing collections as a tool to talk, share and spread awareness to create a stronger connection between the brand and the purpose in the new cultural context, and ultimately bolster sales.
How might we spread awareness of being mindful- to get away from technology?
Working out and spending time with your bodies should be the point that people look to have the most peaceful interactions; a place of comfort and serenity, Technology shouldn’t distract us from that peace, but rather act as an enabler.
After a speculative design process, we made an attempt to speak to our social and emotional nature allowing us to make deeper connections by infusing a symbolic message through this collection.
The result translated into simple graphic elements to convey our message- of the dire need to break free from a dependent lifestyle into a more self-reliant, and active lifestyle. Using clean shapes, colors, lines & playing with the scale and placement of the patterns I incorporated them into the unique design and construction of the garments. Off the Grid collection was created using materials derived from regenerative resources -organic, certified, and sustainably & fair processes.(Each garment was made using left over fabrics and trims with GOTS certified dyes.)
I started working on an idea to to convey the concept through a graphical element. Through the design research process, I got to observe that people nurture their minds and bodies better, when on a digital detox.
I developed a pattern using deconstructed grid structures with basic body movements and stretches. Through this I wanted to induce a 'call to action' urgency. Striking the right balance between functionality and design, 'Off the Grid' depicts the idea of the possibilities of more with less.
