CONSCIOUS LIVING

This conscious loungewear label uses rose petals and lotus fibres to make their clothes

By Saloni Dhruv

07 October, 2022

The founders of Lagom want you to feel comfortable at home in their luxurious loungewear 

In Swedish, the word ‘lagom’ translates into ‘not too little, not too much, but just the right amount’. Finding a sense of balance and satisfaction may be hard to practise, but for Parigna Desai and Roshni Kochhar, it is easily translated into their eponymously named loungewear label. Scroll though the brand’s Instagram page and you’ll find robes and sets that are cosy and luxurious enough for you to take that time off and spend more time in bed reading with a hot cup of coffee. And this is exactly what the duo aims for their brand to do for you—"clothing that accompanies you from your first cup of coffee to your nightcap,” says their Instagram bio.

Together, Desai–who has previously worked with Derek Lam and Obataimu, brings her eye for textiles, and Kochhar–having studied at Parsons School of Design and worked with Stella McCartney, brings her design aspirations to reality with this conscious label. We spoke to the duo to understand how they came together to build a brand, the unique materials they use to make their loungewear and their plans to keep evolving in a competitive industry.

fashion

Parigna Desai and Roshni Kochhar's loungewear label is created using rose and lotus fibres

How did this collaboration between the two of you come about, considering that you come from different design disciplines?

We had both independently been researching materials and techniques [that are] indigenous to India. Once we started sharing our research with each other, we realised that we were both passionate about the evolution and contemporisation of craft. Problem-solving takes place at the intersection of disciplines. We love bringing different perspectives and our collaborative process helps us explore the confluence between digital and tactile. We co-created every print by exchanging our individual explorations, and building on them. We continue testing each product thoroughly before bringing it to the market. It began as a capsule collection and quickly evolved into a brand with a focus on products for longevity.

The duo started with a capsule collection which evolved into a brand

As a conscious label, Lagom's collections are created using natural waste

Your collections incorporate the use of rose petals and lotus fibres. Can you tell us the process behind creating and sourcing these materials?

Our materials are at the centre of our design process. We loved the breathability of the fabrics and how they felt like second skin. These cellulose fibres have been used for generations in South and Southeast Asia. We work with mills that import the yarn from Indonesia and weave it in Kanpur. 

The rose petal fibre is extracted from the natural waste of rose petals and rose bushes. The fibre is stripped and processed to create a lustrous and soft-spinning fibre, similar to silk. It’s light, breathable and perfect for hot and sticky weather. Lotus fibre is obtained by slicing the stems of the lotus and extracting the fibre from the centre. These are then washed and hung to dry before being spun into yarn. The tradition of transforming this natural waste into fabrics has existed in most Southeast Asian countries for centuries. 

We experimented and tested the fabrics for a year while developing the collection. Our pieces are innately soft and lustrous, and machine-washable–the silhouettes are designed to aid the fluidity of the fabrics.

The duo experimented and tested the fabrics for a year while developing the collection

Lagom's designs are versatile, effortless and feel good on your skin

Loungewear was a big hit during the pandemic. But now that the pandemic is waning, how do you see the market growing in the near future?

We design clothes that are versatile, effortless and feel good on your skin. Our goal is to design products that make you feel at home, no matter where you are. We had initially designed the collection as loungewear but we quickly saw it become a part of our clients’ everyday dressing. We see people wearing the clothes out of the house, to work–really, anywhere. As we keep evolving, our focus remains on quality and we want to continue gaining feedback and studying what really resonates with people in order to create what fits beyond categories.

"WE LOVE BRINGING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND OUR COLLABORATIVE PROCESS HELPS US EXPLORE THE CONFLUENCE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND TACTILE."
Parigna Desai and Roshni Kochhar

Since all the pieces are mindfully made in small batches, what does sustainability mean to you?

Sustainability is a combination of so many different facets and we think it’s important for it to be the foundation our brand is built on. Overall, especially as a young brand, it is extremely difficult to be completely sustainable and yet accessible. Taking small steps, such as setting up a per-order system, producing in small batches on a need-to basis and working with the community to use/ upcycle production waste is an important practice. We’re constantly making attempts to be mindful, especially in the areas where we’re lacking, wanting to improve not only our products but also our processes.

How do you plan to keep evolving the brand in this competitive industry?

Our focus is our material research. We’re looking forward to having the product and brand evolve based on our evolving surroundings and in collaboration with the rest of the fashion industry. We continue to iterate on every print, seam and fold–to create silhouettes that are kind to every form and hope that they become the go-to choice for most people.

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