fabrics

Thompson uses leather and soft fabrics on selected parts of the seat and enclosure to provide a luxury feel, which is increasingly popular with airlines.

Then I tried a pair of Farmers Defense protection sleeves: Think long, fingerless gloves that extend to just under the armpits, in a silky-feeling “eco-dynamic” fabric known as Repreve, made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled fabrics.

Listening to Mandi made me realise how much I, too, had come to associate modern African design with ankara fabrics.

Best known for his use of lotus and peacock motifs, Bal used rich fabrics like velvet and brocade - his designs were elaborate, inspired by Indian grandeur and royalty.

“When you learn about manufacturing, you realize that most of it is made at the same place, at the same factory and with the same fabrics, but luxury doesn’t have to be something that’s expensive. I’ve been to places like India where you’ll find someone on the side of the road hand-stitching something. It’s the same level of work as someone in the Dior atelier except their work is on a runway. Some people’s labor is worth more than others.”