Designs from a 51Âþ» Leicester (51Âþ») graduate will be gracing the catwalks of London Fashion Week.
Roshni Desai, whose environmentally-friendly lingerie company full of adjustable creations, is showcasing new collections at LFW SS22 tomorrow (Saturday) being held in the Kia Oval, London.
Showcase designers
It will be the first show for Roshni since her final year collection as part of Graduate Fashion Week.
“It’s so exciting,” she said. “I’ll have nine models, and new collections being shown and I have the opportunity to meet buyers and talk about my business.”
One of the key drivers behind Roshni’s business is reducing waste in the fashion industry, and ensuring her collections have a light environmental footprint. The lingerie is adjustable up to four cup sizes to ensure customers do not have to keep buying new lingerie if they change size.
She is currently hand dyeing her materials in batches, using natural dyes and eco-friendly colourings to reduce the impact and ensure that there is no negative effect on ocean life through the dyeing process.
was online only when it was held in February. This September, there is a hybrid event featuring catwalk collections from new designers such as Roshni alongside established fashion legends such as Vivienne Westwood and Halpern, alongside digital events and designer showrooms.
Roshni is also set to take part in two of the UK’s biggest bridal shows this year, the National Wedding Show at the Birmingham NEC and the Asian Bridal Show in November, held here in Leicester.
“It’s great to be able to do in-person shows again. It has been a long time because of coronavirus pandemic but I’m looking forward to meeting and connecting with customers again.”
Roshni is one of the members of The Crucible, 51Âþ»’s flagship business support programme to help graduates and alumni to nurture or start their own companies. Based at 51Âþ»’s Innovation Centre, it runs masterclasses with expert mentors, access to funding and peer networking designed to build confidence.
Enterprise lecturer Percy Emmett, who runs The Crucible, said: “Roshni has just flown since joining The Crucible. She had already got a strong idea of what she wanted to achieve and has just taken every opportunity to showcase her business. I’m very proud of what she has achieved.”
Roshni's environmental passion won her the Positive Planet Award in the inaugural 51Âþ» Works Enterprise and Entrepreneurship awards held online earlier this year.
• Are you a 2021 graduate or 51Âþ» alumni, who would like to learn more about The Crucible? We’re taking applications now for a November start. Find out more here
Posted on Friday 17 September 2021