India, July 2026: The R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge (CDC), the flagship circular fashion initiative by R|Elan™, the United Nations in India, and Lakmé Fashion Week, hosted its European Jury and an exclusive cocktail evening at Le Meurice, Paris, on the eve of Paris Haute Couture Week. Held under the India–France Year of Innovation 2026, the event was organised in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM).
The European Jury brought together some of the most influential voices from the global fashion, luxury and sustainability ecosystem to evaluate six emerging designers from across Europe. The distinguished jury comprised Pascale Mussard(Vice-President, The Fondation Hermès; President, Villa Noailles), Sara Sozzani Maino (Creative Director, Fondazione Sozzani), Serge Carreira (Director, Emerging Brands Initiative, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode), Diane Pernet (Founder & Director, ASVOF), Anne-Gaëlle Lamort (Sustainability Innovation Lead, Kering) and Katell Pouliquen (Editorial Director, Marie Claire France). Showcasing innovative approaches to circular design, material innovation and craftsmanship, the finalists reflected the next generation of responsible fashion.
The evening also welcomed distinguished guests including celebrated Indian couturiers Manish Malhotra, Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra, alongside Hema Bose, Christoph Rumpf, and representatives from leading French fashion houses, academia and media, for an exclusive cocktail reception celebrating creativity, collaboration and the growing global momentum behind circular fashion.
A key highlight of the evening was the announcement of Yoshita 1967, founded by Anil Padia, as the European Finalist of the eighth edition of the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge. The designer will now advance to the global finale at the United Nations Headquarters in New Delhi, before presenting the collection during Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI in October, where the Winner and Runner-Up of the 2026 edition will be announced.
The Paris gathering marked another milestone in the Challenge’s international journey, bringing together global leaders, designers and changemakers to advance conversations around circularity, responsible innovation and the future of fashion.
