Yesterday, solutions-driven environmental not-for-profit Canopy, in collaboration with Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, presented an exclusive panel discussion exploring the crucial role of Indian fashion designers and brands in advancing Next Gen material innovation and circular fashion. Next Gen Solutions are low-carbon alternatives to conventional wood-based paper, paper packaging, and textiles that use inputs that would otherwise be landfilled (discarded textiles) or burned (agricultural residues). Next Gen materials help protect forests, advance livelihoods for farmers and textile collectors, and build resilient supply chains for fashion brands.

Writer Namrata Zakaria moderated the panel, which featured Canopy’s Executive Director Nicole Rycroft, iconic Indian fashion designer Amit Aggarwal, sustainable fashion star Urvashi Kaur, and ​​Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani and former Head of Vogue Talent.

Panelists highlighted India’s enormous potential to lead the global fashion industry’s transition to more circular materials, given its rich textile heritage, entrepreneurial culture, technical expertise, and abundant agricultural and textile wastes. They shared how Indian designers are fusing centuries-old techniques with cutting-edge Next Gen materials to create low-impact, high-style textiles. Canopy’s role in connecting designers and brands to these exciting forest-free alternatives was spotlighted, alongside calls for greater transparency and collaboration across the value chain. With 100 million tonnes of agricultural residues burned annually in India, the panel underscored a powerful opportunity: to curb pollution, catalyze circular innovation, and reimagine waste as the foundation for a regenerative fashion future.

“India has a remarkable opportunity to be an early manufacturing hub of Next Gen materials for the global fashion industry as well as for its designers and brands to set the pace for sustainability,” noted Canopy Founder and Executive Director,  Nicole Rycroft. “Next Gen materials are the future of fashion. They build supply chain resiliency, deliver performance, and show that being stylish doesn’t have to cost the Earth.”

“It’s not just about creating sustainable fashion — it’s about building communities, projects, and systems that make responsibility the foundation of the industry,” remarked Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani, at the panel.

Speaking on the association, Jaspreet Chandhok, Group Vice President, Reliance Brands Limited said “Over the past decade, what began as Sustainable Fashion Day has grown into a comprehensive commitment that shapes every aspect of our industry—from the rich legacy of Indian textiles to pioneering new materials like innovative fibers and agri-waste solutions. At Reliance Brands, I believe in honoring our heritage while driving innovation, and our collaboration with Canopy stands as a true testament to that vision—bringing together designers, thought leaders, and brands to create a future where fashion and nature thrive together.”

The event highlights Canopy’s collaboration with leading global brands to transform supply chains and protect Ancient and Endangered Forests.