Reliance Industries Limited’s R|Elan, a next-generation fabric brand recognised for its focus on sustainability, innovation, circularity and performance, will present designer Payal Pratap’s upcoming collection, ‘Memories Pressed in Time’ at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI 2026.

The showcase will bring together advanced fibre technologies developed by R|Elan and contemporary design storytelling, demonstrating how sustainable materials can enable aesthetically distinctive fashion. The collection will highlight how designers can leverage responsible, high-performance textiles to create garments that combine comfort, durability, sustainability and refined/ design.

Payal Pratap, the eponymous label of designer Payal Pratap Singh, has long explored the relationship between nature, craft and textile storytelling. For this collection, the designer turns to her childhood memories, particularly those shaped by her mother’s gardens and a life surrounded by plants, foliage and seasonal change. These experiences form the emotional foundation of the collection, where botanical forms translate into prints, textures and surface details.

Speaking about the collection, Payal Pratap mentions, “My growing years were surrounded by my green fingered mother and her myriad gardens. Those times are like fossils of my past bringing me warmth with each reminiscence. This collection reflects the quiet poetry of botanicals and the subtle life of flora and fauna. The prints you see in the collection are derived from actual leaves and foliage from my garden. Art works were created using these ferns and palms and then printed digitally as well as via laser on the denims.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Hemant D. Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Limited, said: “At Reliance, our core values are rooted in sustainability, innovation and circularity, supported by advanced technologies and strong R&D. R|Elan reflects this vision by combining cutting-edge fibre science with responsible manufacturing to enable the future of sustainable fashion. We are eager to see how Payal Pratap interprets the possibilities of R|Elan fabrics on the runway, transforming advanced materials into aesthetically compelling ensembles that bring together innovation, nature and craftsmanship while reflecting the spirit of responsible design.”

Denim emerges as the central material of the collection — a fabric the designer approaches as both expressive and enduring. Known for its adaptability and character, denim evolves with time, taking the shape of the wearer and acquiring depth through wear and use. In this collection, it becomes a surface that holds memory, much like the impressions left by passing seasons.

The R|elanx Payal Pratap collection draws visual cues from botanicals and the subtle life of flora and fauna. Leaves, wild stems and floral forms appear pressed into indigo surfaces, echoing delicate records of nature captured over time. Cyanotype-inspired prints create silhouettes reminiscent of botanical studies, while tonal embroidery, patchwork and washed finishes evoke landscapes shaped by weather, touch and everyday life.

Silhouettes lean towards relaxed, oversized denim forms that feel both grounded and intimate. Jackets, skirts, gilets and dresses feature bold foliage prints and layered textures, designed with movement and everyday wear in mind. Texture is further developed through appliqué pleats, quilting and distressed washes that give the garments a lived-in quality.

Nature’s imprint runs through the entire collection, with elements appearing almost fossilised into the denim surface. With every wash and wear, the fabric evolves -- echoing the designer’s reflection on memory itself, where something is always lost and something gained with time.

Through this collaboration, R|Elancontinues to champion the role of sustainable materials and innovation in shaping the future of fashion, enabling designers to translate responsible fibre technologies into compelling runway expressions.

The R|Elan x Payal Pratap showcase at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI 2026 will celebrate the intersection of innovation, sustainability, craftsmanship and design, presenting denim not just as a fabric but as a canvas for storytelling and evolving memory.