This month’s giveaway is sponsored by Anuk Neutral, a line of clothing by a brand we love at PR and how do we share it’s hand feel when we are resorting to online shopping midst lockdown. We repeat this often, because it’s true, the Anuk Neutral garments are butter soft to the touch and breathable to wear!
Wear it because it’s just a beautiful garment and the quality, stellar… but love it more because it’s made of Tencel and is representative of the brand’s constant journey in sustainable and responsible design and production.
We asked Pramodha Weerasekera, a big fan and wearer of ANUK clothing to share why she chooses Anuk Neutral and we applaud her as a ‘Conscious Shopper’, a person we strive to cater to at PR, someone who shops with conscience and intention and continues to love what they've bought for years to come......
Fashion is no longer merely about beauty. Consumers of the 21st century are acutely aware of the contribution each piece they buy has on the environment as well as their closet and lifestyle. ANUK is a local ready-to-wear contemporary clothing label designed to cater to a well-informed and eco-conscious clientele
Samaadhi Weerasinghe, the Creative Director of ANUK, initiated the label with the key thought of ‘lazy elegance’ in mind. The label is well-known for its oversized, versatile, and unique silk clothing as well as its simple yet unique silhouettes. For Samaadhi, sustainability is not a new priority. It begins from the design itself. The aim is to create pieces that can be worn in many ways. The wrap dresses and tops from the label are testimony to this versatility.
Pieces are also made to last—you will always feel like you are ‘investing’ in a piece as opposed to merely buying a garment.
PR, the label’s primary retailer in Sri Lanka, champions sustainability and supports this vision further. The label does not overproduce; the quantity made is what the retailer orders and what the consumer needs. ANUK’s line of production follows a low-waste production policy, and its No Waste collections that use leftover pieces of fabric to create limited edition pieces are highly sought after. Smaller discarded pieces of material are donated to Salvage Sri Lanka to produce jewelry and other accessories.
In 2019, Samaadhi ventured into exploring with Tencel, a type of rayon that belongs to the same fabric family as viscose and modal. ANUK Neutral fully embraces the comfort and smoothness of Tencel; the designs are signature ANUK, but with an additional dose of sustainability, as the eco-friendly fabric is steadily claiming its place around the world as a material that results in a lower impact on the environment.
While it has been used by designers internationally for several years, ANUK is one of the only fashion labels in Sri Lanka that creates with Tencel.
The science behind Tencel involves a complex process using wood pulp that delivers cellulose fiber, which is then chemically treated and spun into fabric. Even though Tencel belongs to the rayon family, it is developed in a closed-loop system where the chemicals used are recycled, thus generating less waste. The softness and breathability of the fabric are direct results of this system. It is also made from sustainably sourced wood and takes into account the concerning impact of fabric production on deforestation.
The environmental footprint of Tencel is minimal because it is biodegradable and requires less energy and water to be produced.
The material did not come easily to the label. Over the years, Samaadhi has experimented with many types of fabric, including silk, Pima cotton, and handloom. As ANUK grew and the more Samaadhi engaged she realized that the industry produces a lot of waste alongside issues related to fabric dyeing causing detrimental and irreversible damage to the environment. In fact, approximately 85% of all textiles used for clothing end up in a garbage dump each year. Unless labels make the difficult but necessary decision to make a change to the system, it is likely to remain the same. After lots of research, it was a conscious effort on Samaadhi’s end to stop further contributing to this pattern and begin working with a sustainable material like Tencel.
The first ANUK Neutral collection made from Tencel dropped in February 2020, and the label’s journey with the material only seems to grow. From the classic silhouette of the drawstring kaftan to the Diana shorts, the designs from the ANUK Neutral collection represent ‘lazy elegance’ complemented by sustainability. The curated color palette, ranging from bright sangria to deep charcoal, give life to the fabric and the silhouettes. Many of the pieces can be styled for a cocktail party as much as for work-from-home. The collection enhances the versatility of the Tencel fabric with flowy, butter-like textures that immediately make someone look as well as feel good. The pieces do not require a run to the dry cleaner as Tencel is machine washable. The designer feel is ultimate, as only a handful of pieces are made from each design under the attentive guidance of Samaadhi herself.
- Pramodha Weerasekera
During this period of time and always, shopping should be conscious and not impulsive. #LovedClothesLast and what we wear is our responsibility to ourselves, those who made it, our planet and future generations.
SHOP ANUK here
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