Mumbai, Oct 23: For its SS’27 collection, ‘Aarsa’, Jiwya, the 100% plant-based luxury fashion brand turns to the mirror as both object and metaphor. At its core, ‘Aarsa’ isn’t built around seasonal trends or superficial styling. It is envisioned as a visual and emotional interrogation and built on the simple premise that fashion has always been a reflection of society. Meaning “mirror” in Marathi, ‘Aarsa’ is an invitation to pause, look closer and ask a deceptively simple question: “What do you stand for?”
The collection marks Jiwya’s 3rd brand anniversary and is its largest to date, comprising 25 pieces across dresses, skirts, trousers, shirts, blouses and jackets, presented through 15 looks. At first glance, the collection is striking in its restraint, with its palette of beige, off-white and unbleached whites. At a closer glance, however, and the quietness gives way to intricate, plastic-free mirror work, stitched entirely by hand without glue or machine, and white thread embroidery, creating movement, texture and reflection across every piece.
At the heart of ‘Aarsa’ is Jiwya’s belief that fashion can be more than something we simply wear. It can reflect the world we live in and, perhaps, remind us of our place within it. The collection brings environmental questions into that reflection, asking the wearer not simply to notice, but to acknowledge and act.
"Somewhere in the past few decades, fashion started forgetting its voice," says Aishwarya Lahariya, Co-Founder and Design Head — Jiwya. "Aarsa is our attempt to bring that back. When we choose unbleached fabrics, we stand for water conservation. When we use 100% plant-based materials, we stand against plastic-choked ecosystems. Jiwya isn’t just what you wear. It is what you stand for," she adds.
The collection is rooted firmly in Jiwya’s commitment to being 100% plant-based and working exclusively with hand-spun and hand-woven fabrics. ‘Aarsa’ brings together kala cotton, mulmul, khadi, organic cotton and, in a first for the brand, alt-tag cotton made from agricultural waste and linters. Meanwhile, the weaves that make up the collection range from breezy kota doria and subtle checks to varied densities of mulmul. Everything remains in its natural, unbleached kora form, allowing the character of each fibre and weave to come through.
And then, there is colour…or rather, lack of it.
With ‘Aarsa’, white becomes a starting point rather than a blank canvas. For Aishwarya, it is a colour that contains everything: a mood associated with attention, peace, hope and possibility. Against this almost monochromatic foundation, the mirrors catch the light, creating moments of reflection and movement.
The silhouettes retain Jiwya’s understated design language while opening it up for the Spring/Summer season. Think fluid, breathable forms designed to move with the body and the wind. There are classic shapes, reimagined through regenerative materials, with creases, folds and textures deliberately left to feel alive rather than overly perfected. Each piece is named after a bird species in a native Indian language, adding another subtle nod to the natural world.
Over the past three years, the brand has remained steadfast in its refusal to use plastic buttons, synthetic dyes, or animal-derived materials, working directly with rural artisan communities across India to prove that high-end fashion can coexist with radical transparency and deep ecological responsibility.
The ‘Aarsa’ SS’27 collection will be available online and through select stockists starting this season.
