The Embassy of France in India and the French Institute in India, in partnership with Reliance Industries Limited, the United Nations in India and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, are pleased to announce a special Indo-French edition of the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge to be held in 2026, as part of the India-France Year of Innovation.
Originating in India and developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India and Lakmē Fashion week, the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge has emerged as an international platform that supports young designers and entrepreneurs in India and globally, working at the intersection of fashion, sustainability, and innovation. By encouraging circular design practices across the fashion and textile value chain, the initiative nurtures new generations of designers committed to responsible and forward-looking approaches.
The 2026 edition will reflect a shared ambition between France and India to strengthen collaboration in sustainable fashion and creative innovation. With French fashion celebrated worldwide, and the growing presence of Indian designers in the Paris Fashion Week calendar, this partnership seeks to highlight a common need to rethink, produce and create differently. Following the “Textile Matters: Woven stories between India and France” exhibition that ended on 4th January in Paris, showcasing, among other works, fashion silhouettes that illustrate the mixed influences between France and India, the French Embassy is keen to team with a renowned Indian platform such as R|ElanTM CDC to give a new platform to young talents who will grow into the next generation of makers and passeurs.
As part of this collaboration, French designers in sustainable and circular fashion will be identified and the Regional European Jury will be held in Paris this summer, in close collaboration with the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode which has agreed to be the institutional partner for this year. The initiative will also constitute a dedicated Indo-French jury with prestigious French fashion industry professionals. The partnership will culminate in the international finale and fashion showcase of the R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge, to be held during Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI in Delhi in October 2026, with the showcase hosted at the Embassy of France in India.
This collaboration underscores the role of cultural and creative industries in addressing global sustainability challenges and strengthens long-term dialogue between French and Indian institutions in the field of fashion and innovation.
