Latest news with #Disobedience
Fibre2Fashion
04-07-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Anita Soundar Disobedience
Our goal is to build trust with discerning consumers Disobedience is a conscious footwear brand that challenges the ordinary by blending bold design with mindful material choices. Rooted in craftsmanship and sustainability, every pair is handcrafted using circular materials like indigenous kala cotton, upcycled plastics, plant-based leather alternatives, reclaimed teak, and recyclable steel. At its core, Disobedience stands for disruption, empathy, and expression—redefining what it means to walk with purpose. Behind this vision is founder Anita Soundar, a former chemical engineer and industrial entrepreneur who took an unconventional path to become a footwear designer. Her journey—marked by reinvention, resilience, and radical creativity—intertwines deep material knowledge with a strong design-led philosophy. In a candid conversation with Fibre2Fashion, Anita opens up about the inspirations behind Disobedience, the challenges of building a truly sustainable luxury brand in India, and how she is rewriting the rules of fashion with each step. Your transition from a chemical engineer and industrial entrepreneur to a footwear designer is remarkable. What inspired this significant career shift, and how have your previous experiences influenced your approach to sustainable fashion? Yes, I studied chemical engineering and completed my master's in environmental management back in 2005—long before sustainability became the buzzword it is today. I worked as an environmental engineer for a couple of years, but I wanted to be the 'good daughter,' listening to societal expectations. That experience in my father's engineering business gave me a strong foundation—but also a desire to build something independently, driven by my own creative and ethical vision. While managing my father's business—which involved designing and fabricating process equipment for industries like textiles and food—I gained insight into the chemicals and additives used in everyday products. This exposure deeply influenced my understanding of materials and sustainability. But I still felt the urge to design, to create. I eventually took a break and went to Milan to study handbag design. I then transitioned into footwear because I found shoes to be more challenging. Over the next five years, I studied in various places—Holland, Chennai, London—to understand different schools of thought in shoemaking. Initially, I just wanted to be a designer, not run another factory. I had no desire to manage large inventories, especially after visiting factories in China through a Dutch footwear school called Footwearology, led by Nicoline van Enter, a pioneer in footwear 3D printing. But the reality was harsh—factories expected a minimum order of 1,000 shoes, which did not make sense for someone just starting out. I did not know my market or have the space to store such inventory. That is when I realised that I needed my own set-up if I wanted to experiment with materials and design without compromise. We built a small workshop during COVID-19 using repurposed machinery, aiming to create globally refined products with a distinctly Indian soul. My first employee joined in mid-2021, and now we are a team of seven. For the past four and a half years, we have focused on R&D—experimenting with materials, designs, and techniques. Every year, before launching the brand, I would go to Italy for short courses, visit exhibitions like MICAM and Lineapelle, and connect with raw material suppliers. Coming from an engineering background, I knew the importance of understanding the supply chain and sourcing partners. So yes, it started with a desire to design, but eventually turned into building something from the ground up. That is how Disobedience was born. The name 'Disobedience' is intriguing. What does it signify in the context of your brand, and how does it reflect your vision for challenging conventional norms in the fashion industry? For me, Disobedience carries a dual meaning. On a personal level, starting a business at 38 or 39—essentially at 40—was itself an act of defiance. And this is not just about women; it applies to men too. In our culture, we are constantly told how to live, what to feel, and what is appropriate. Back then, even more than now, decisions were often made for you. You were expected to just go along. But Disobedience, for me, is about making peace with myself. It is saying, 'Anita, it is OK.' I have been divorced twice, I do not have children—and I am not ashamed of that. I ran my father's business, but at one point I decided that even though it gave me financial stability, it was not fulfilling me. I wanted more. Professionally and personally, I was starting over. But that is ok. That act of telling myself it is ok—that is Disobedience. It is a deeply personal conversation with myself. On the brand side, Disobedience reflects our desire to challenge industry norms—whether in design, materials, or how circularity is approached. We are not trying to tear anything down. I have great respect for the fashion and footwear industries and the way they have evolved over time. But I wanted to carve a different path—one that aligns with my values and vision. If I want to see change, I have to be that change. That is what the brand stands for. From the materials we use, to our made-to-order approach and rejection of mass inventory, Disobedience is about intentional disruption. We want customers to feel a sense of accountability. For instance, we do not keep large stock. We produce on demand, so when someone places an order, it is made specifically for them. This creates a mindful consumption process. I, too, have been guilty of ordering things via cash on delivery and then returning them out of convenience. E-commerce has made returns so effortless that many brands now boast 'no questions asked' policies. But we wanted to do things differently—ensuring the product fits, is comfortable, and well-made—while also encouraging consumers to be responsible. That too, is Disobedience. Disobedience opts for in-house manufacturing to avoid overproduction and waste. How has this approach affected your scalability and ability to innovate within the luxury footwear market? For me, luxury is about exclusivity—it is not just about hiking up the price. It is about the materials used, the craftsmanship involved, and the accountability a brand takes for what it creates. Luxury, to me, means offering aftercare, repair, and reuse options. It is about supporting the customer even after the purchase, not just selling a shoe and calling it a day. Take something as simple as the heel tip. Most shoes use plastic moulded heel caps that wear off quickly. Once that happens, people end up going to a cobbler who replaces it with a mismatched colour, which ruins the look. That is a real customer pain point. So, we do not use plastic heel covers—we use rubber instead. And when customers purchase a pair, we include two to three spare rubber tips that they can easily get replaced by any cobbler. It is a small detail, but it makes a big difference in customer experience. As for manufacturing, we set up our production unit inside my father's factory. That gave us the freedom to experiment without the pressure of paying rent or meeting aggressive launch timelines. We had the luxury of time and space to iterate, which is one of the reasons it took us nearly five years to launch. Our unit has a separate entrance and functions independently from the original fabrication setup. Making everything in-house has been a game-changer. When I first explored working with existing factories—especially in Chennai, which is a major leather hub—I found they were reluctant to take me seriously. Most were geared towards leather production, and when I said I did not want to use leather and could not offer large volumes, they brushed me off. That is when I realised that I had to build my own setup. Only then could I freely work with alternative materials like cotton, plant-based leather, and recycled plastics. Even my team, who came with years of experience working with leather, needed time to adapt. Plant leather, for instance, is widely used in bags but is still very new to footwear. We have been among the first in India to experiment with it in shoes. The feedback loop is critical. Since the material is still evolving, we regularly communicate with vendors, sharing what is working and what is not. If a batch tears under pressure or does not perform well in moulding, we go back to them with detailed input. This kind of R&D and back-and-forth is only possible because we control our own production. If I were outsourcing, no factory would entertain a request to test a material on just two pairs of shoes. They would expect large orders or high per-unit payments to justify the effort. Having our own manufacturing space allows us to test, learn, innovate, and build something truly different—all while staying rooted in our values of sustainability and craftsmanship. Disobedience utilises materials like banana leather, upcycled plastics, and handwoven textiles. Could you elaborate on your material selection process and how you ensure both sustainability and quality in your products? We prioritise biodegradable, plant-based materials wherever possible to minimise long-term environmental impact. But in footwear, certain structural components—like heels—typically rely on ABS plastic or leather. When I was starting out, I was told there was no alternative. I even sourced ABS from a UK-based supplier in Delhi, but ultimately chose not to use it. Instead, I gravitated towards wood—specifically reclaimed teak. Wood has value and longevity. Even if it is discarded, it can be repurposed. In contrast, plastics, once moulded, are nearly impossible to reuse. With my engineering background and experience in fabrication, I also felt comfortable working with metal. Steel, for example, has inherent worth—it would not end up in a landfill because it can always be recycled or sold as scrap. In addition to banana leather, we work with other plant-based materials like sugarcane bagasse. CLRI (Central Leather Research Institute) has done extensive research into agricultural waste-based materials—mango, banana, tomato leathers, and fibre-based variants. A couple of years ago, plant leather was not easily available in India. I even considered licensing CLRI's technology to set up production myself. Back then, I felt conflicted because although we were not promoting sustainability loudly, we were committed to it internally. We avoided both leather and PU/PVC because they are harmful in different ways—whether to animals or the planet. Today, the supply landscape has thankfully changed. Many vendors are now producing plant leather. Alongside that, we use handwoven kala cotton, which is native to Kachchh in Gujarat. It is a rain-fed, indigenous crop that requires no pesticides or fertilisers and has been scientifically validated as soil-friendly and sustainable. We source our kala cotton from Khamir, a well-known NGO that was founded to support communities affected by the Bhuj earthquake. They employ local women who hand-spin and weave the yarn. We have been working with them for over three years. We also use handwoven textiles made from upcycled plastic. And from the Telangana region, we source undyed, hand-spun wool through the Deccani Wool Project. The pastoral community processes this black wool entirely by hand, and we use it in our footwear without any dyeing or treatment. The wool, being a protein fibre, starts disintegrating gradually over a couple of years, giving a natural distressed effect. Initially, I was concerned about how customers would perceive that. Would they think the product was defective? Would they see it as poor quality? We want to stand behind the materials we use and the values we uphold. For conscious materials to be truly accepted, people need to understand their story and value. If something goes wrong, the entire category—sustainable fashion—risks being discredited. So, the least we can do is provide care, repair, and support. Our goal is to build trust with discerning consumers who understand that every material we choose has meaning and responsibility built into it. Disobedience emphasises inherently circular materials and biodegradable products. How do you implement circular design principles in your production process, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining these standards? Circularity, for us, starts with material selection. As I mentioned earlier, we prioritise materials based on how easily they can biodegrade. That is our starting point. We also follow an on-demand manufacturing model, which means we do not hold inventory—we only make a shoe once an order is placed. Having our own production facility allows us this flexibility. But using sustainable materials presents several challenges. First, cost. For example, a square metre of plant-based leather can cost three to four times more than conventional leather. And then there is the uncertainty—plant leather is still a relatively new technology. Even though I have been personally wearing shoes made from it for over 18 months, we still do not have long-term data on how it holds up. So, there is a leap of faith involved, both for us and for the customer. There is also the perception that fashion shoes are disposable—that people will wear them a few times and toss them out. But I do not want that. I do not want our shoes to end up in landfills. That is why we offer a two-year product warranty. If there are any issues, we will repair them. And if a customer simply does not want the shoes anymore, we are working towards setting up a few options: a buy-back programme, a pre-loved section on our website, or an incentive-based return model. The idea is to take full responsibility for the life cycle of the product. Since we assemble the shoes ourselves, we can also deconstruct them into mono-materials. For instance, the wood and steel components can be reused in new samples. Steel, in particular, can be polished and reshaped. For cotton-based uppers, we have partnered with textile recyclers in Tiruppur who can process natural fibres. We are also already using materials like recycled latex foam and recycled thermoplastics for components like footbeds and toe support. We try to integrate recycled materials into our value chain, not just for our products, but also to contribute to the larger ecosystem. This includes sourcing yarns made from recycled cotton and using recycled thermoplastics wherever possible—because even if a product is sustainable, it still needs to meet functional and aesthetic expectations. For example, a pointed-toe pump needs to hold its shape. We have also been in regular contact with recycling partners like Green Worms. And in parallel, I have been working on setting up a small recycling unit of my own. As someone with an environmental engineering background, I find it hard to ignore the sheer volume of plastic waste around us. Creating a system to process that waste has become a personal mission. This is where the idea of extended producer responsibility—or rather, accountability—comes into play. Inspired by Dutch textile laws, it is about brands taking ownership of their products even after they have reached the customer. That means building a reverse value chain—from the consumer back to the brand. If we do not do this, most discarded items will just end up in landfills. So, our aim is to provide consumers with enough motivation to return the product—through repair, resale, or recycling options—and then handle the breakdown, sorting, and repurposing ourselves. That is what circularity means to us: not just in design, but in action. Your designs feature unique elements such as heels made from steel and engraved wood. How do you balance avant-garde aesthetics with functionality, and what role do artisans play in bringing these designs to life? Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot—especially considering that in the early days, no one wanted to wear my shoes! I would literally hand them out to acquaintances in Chennai and beg them to try them on, just so I could test comfort and balance. Months would pass and they would say, 'Anita, we do not know how to style these.' It was disheartening—even giving them away for free did not work. Today, while we are still a young brand and not chasing sales numbers, I do feel a sense of validation when stylists I admire reach out to say they love the shoes. That is a huge shift from where we began. Coming to your question—my focus on design comes from wanting to create shoes that are as fashion-forward as any luxury brand. I once came across Tom's, the shoe brand known for donating a pair for every one sold. It is a brilliant, purpose-driven idea. I bought a pair, not because I loved how they looked, but because I wanted to support that mission. It reminded me that many people are willing to engage with ethical brands—but only if the product speaks to them visually too. That is where I did not want to compromise. I did not want Disobedience to be seen as 'charity footwear' or something people wear once and then hide in their closet. I wanted our shoes to be stylish, desirable, and statement-making. Design is what draws people in. The sustainability aspect should be the pleasant surprise that follows. That is why I focus heavily on aesthetics—and being from India, there is so much to draw from. Many of our heel designs, for example, are inspired by the legs of old cots, the curves of wooden stair railings, or other nostalgic elements from Indian homes. They are not abstract modernist forms; they are rooted in everyday Indian life. But bringing those ideas to life was a huge challenge. When I approached carpenters and woodworkers—people who typically make stair railings or furniture legs—they were intimidated. One even said no, fearing liability: 'What if someone falls wearing your shoe?' So, I took matters into my own hands. I enrolled in a carpentry course with a lovely couple in Chennai who run Studio Clutter. They teach furniture-making, and I learned to craft wooden heels myself. I would make scaled-down prototypes, take them back to the artisans, and say, 'Please replicate this.' Once I could speak their language—dimensions, materials—they were more confident and willing to work with me. It took 4.5 years to launch Disobedience because I wanted to get every detail right. I did not have huge capital; I had enough to pay salaries, but everything else—from weaving to prototyping—I did myself. We now have an in-house setup with three looms, where we collaborate with weavers directly, while also continuing to work with external weaving clusters. I even learned the basics of weaving so I could better communicate and collaborate with them. People often ask why I took so long. Why not just launch and iterate later? But for me, the process was everything. Over those years, my designs also evolved, becoming more refined and aligned with the identity I wanted for the brand. It has been slow—but intentional—and I believe that is what gives the work its depth. Your brand collaborates with indigenous weavers and neurodivergent communities. How do these partnerships influence your designs, and what impact do they have on the communities involved? As I mentioned earlier, I was keen on working with plant-based fibres because they are biodegradable. That naturally led me to explore collaborations with weavers. Much like agriculture, weaving is a traditional craft that is slowly fading—and sadly, in regions near Chennai, like Kanchipuram, we often hear heartbreaking stories of weavers struggling to survive, sometimes even leading to suicide. That made me think—if I am working with sustainable materials, why not also support a craft that's at risk of being lost? So, I decided to learn the basics of weaving myself. I bought a loom and started experimenting. That experience helped me understand the language of weaving and the community around it. I realised each weaving cluster is geographically rooted and highly specialised. They tend to focus on a single type of textile—like Kanchipuram silk, for example—and are not always open to adapting to other fibres like cotton. Weaving is also deeply community-driven. It takes around six to seven people to complete a fabric—men usually handle warping and patterning, while women do most of the hands-on work. It is an incredibly collaborative process. I took inspiration from brands like Eka and Maku, who do extensive R&D in handwoven textiles, especially for garments. I tried to apply similar principles to footwear. That is how we began working with a weaving group in Assam called 7 Weaves, which specialises in Eri silk. We developed samples with them, but the most special discovery was a neurodivergent weaving collective in Chennai called Hastkala. Hastkala is associated with Vidya Sagar, a school that supports individuals with autism and cerebral palsy. The weaving group consists of about eight adults who are neurodivergent. They are incredibly energetic and love hands-on work. Every morning, they arrive ready to weave—not for money, but for the sheer joy of doing something physical and meaningful. The school had been funding their activities for over a decade and was now looking for brands to partner with them. When I met them, it felt like a perfect match. I was not trying to 'help' anyone—it was not charity. It was a true partnership. Their weaving style was a bit different—more suited to making blankets and home textiles. So, I adapted. I started by asking them to weave plain fabrics in solid colours. They initially used virgin cotton, but I began supplying them with post-consumer recycled cotton and asked if they could weave using that. They were open, enthusiastic, and wonderfully flexible. That is what makes it a win-win. I get to work with plant-based, recycled materials while collaborating with a weaving community that brings a special energy and spirit to the process. It is not about ticking a CSR box; it is about meaningful partnerships. And that, to me, is beautiful. As a brand that defies traditional luxury norms, how has the market responded to Disobedience's unique positioning, and what strategies have you employed to educate consumers about your values? It has not been a linear journey. About two years ago, I worked with someone on our first brand strategy. He came from a very commercial background, and his approach was bold—his pitch was, 'We are making f***ing great shoes.' While I appreciated the confidence, that tone did not reflect who we are. We wanted to build something with more intention and respect, both in language and in value. Eventually, I worked with luxury brand strategists who helped us think about positioning Disobedience as a luxury label. But even then, I realised many of them did not fully understand sustainability. They could craft the narrative of a luxury brand, but they lacked the depth needed to communicate the material innovation and accountability that form the core of what we do. At Disobedience, we take sustainability seriously—but we are also a design-led brand. Balancing those two values has been an ongoing learning experience. To me, luxury is not just about price—it is about impact, responsibility, and long-term value. Market response so far has been slow but thoughtful. I have come to understand that consumers are not always willing to pay significantly more just because something is sustainable. They need to connect with the product on multiple levels—design, quality, function. People might pay 20 to 25 per cent more if they understand the story, but beyond that, it is a tough sell unless they see the value in every detail. We have put a lot of thought into every aspect—from material sourcing and circularity to the packaging. For instance, instead of a standard cardboard shoe box, we provide a wooden box that customers can repurpose and keep. It is part of our philosophy of minimising waste and maximising emotional value. That said, we are still a very young brand. Even though Disobedience has been in development for five years, we only launched on March 5, 2025—just a couple of months ago. So, we are still figuring out our audience. But the response from stylists, art directors, and tastemakers has been really encouraging. They see the uniqueness of the product and the thought behind it. Right now, I am still trying to discover who our core customer is. But I am not in a rush. We keep operations tight and frugal—there are no investors pressuring us to hit numbers. I fund the business myself through loans and manage a very small, hands-on team. That independence allows me to stay true to my values and not compromise on design, quality, or ethics just to drive sales. I believe the right audience will come with time—and when they do, they will truly understand what Disobedience stands for. How are you approaching customer communication, especially when it comes to raising awareness about your materials, processes, and sustainability efforts? Yes, we have started thinking seriously about customer education, especially after preparing documentation for the Circular Design Challenge (CDC). While working on that, I realised just how much we have been doing around circularity and sustainability—but also how little we have actually communicated it. To be honest, I suffer from what I call 'green-hushing'. I have always been cautious about talking too much about our sustainability efforts because I never want to be seen as greenwashing. I thought, let people discover it for themselves when they experience the shoes. But after compiling everything for CDC, it became clear—we should be talking about it. We have done the work, and there is value in sharing it. So now we are actively working on improving our communication, particularly on social media. We want to create content that raises awareness—not in a preachy or self-congratulatory way, but in a way that informs and inspires. It is not about marketing sustainability as a trend, but about helping people understand what goes into every pair of shoes we make. We are aiming to start rolling out more educational content, focusing on our materials, processes, and philosophy. I have come to realise that staying silent does not serve the mission either. If we want to build a conscious community, we have to engage in open, honest dialogue—and that is what we are working towards now. How are you approaching customer communication, especially when it comes to raising awareness about your materials, processes, and sustainability efforts? Yes, we have started thinking seriously about customer education, especially after preparing documentation for the Circular Design Challenge (CDC). While working on that, I realised just how much we have been doing around circularity and sustainability—but also how little we have actually communicated it. To be honest, I suffer from what I call 'green-hushing'. I have always been cautious about talking too much about our sustainability efforts because I never want to be seen as greenwashing. I thought, let people discover it for themselves when they experience the shoes. But after compiling everything for CDC, it became clear—we should be talking about it. We have done the work, and there is value in sharing it. So now we are actively working on improving our communication, particularly on social media. We want to create content that raises awareness—not in a preachy or self-congratulatory way, but in a way that informs and inspires. It is not about marketing sustainability as a trend, but about helping people understand what goes into every pair of shoes we make. We are aiming to start rolling out more educational content, focusing on our materials, processes, and philosophy. I have come to realise that staying silent does not serve the mission either. If we want to build a conscious community, we have to engage in open, honest dialogue—and that is what we are working towards now. What role do you think design storytelling and product innovation play in convincing mainstream consumers to adopt more sustainable fashion choices? I think, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself—would I buy this? And not just in terms of cost, but would I genuinely wear it? Not just for a picture or because it supports a good cause—but because I love it. For many of us, especially independent designers who go on to build brands, our work is an extension of who we are. So, if something feels convincing, meaningful, and well-crafted to you, chances are it will connect with others too. Design is incredibly important—not just aesthetics, but also material design, the small details that define the product experience. That is where storytelling lives, often in subtle ways. I recently had an interaction with a well-known fashion influencer. She is not interested in sustainability at all—but she loved our shoes. To her, they looked cool and fresh, like something out of Italy. On the other hand, someone like Ekta Rajani—who deeply values sustainable fashion—also resonated with our work. That showed me something important: if you make a genuinely good product, it can speak to different kinds of people, for different reasons. As designers, it is our responsibility to take charge of the materials we use and shape them into products that feel desirable to a broad audience. We should not be drawing lines between 'sustainable' and 'mainstream' consumers. A well-designed product should serve both. And the storytelling—about the materials, the craft, the communities we work with—does not need to be loud or performative. For instance, most people do not know we collaborate with a neurodivergent weaving collective. That is intentional. We do not spotlight it all over our social media because it would feel exploitative. But those stories are there for people to discover. So yes, product innovation and design storytelling play a huge role. But it all starts with creating something beautiful, comfortable, and well-made. The story should follow naturally, adding layers of meaning for those who care to look deeper. That has been my approach—and I think people find their way to the truth when they are ready. I do not believe in giving advice or telling people how to live. I just try to stay honest to my process. Have any designers or fashion labels collaborated with Disobedience to showcase your footwear, and how have such partnerships shaped your journey so far? Yes, we have had a few exciting beginnings. One that is particularly meaningful to me is our association with Bodice. I truly admire their work—they have done incredible things in sustainable fashion. It actually started with a simple sourcing request, but they ended up using our shoes for their entire launch collection showcased at their Delhi store in March 2025. I had the chance to speak with Ruchika Sachdeva (founder and creative director of Bodice), and she told me they genuinely loved the shoes. That meant a lot, because Bodice represents the kind of clothing we hope to complement—garments made with sustainable materials and a deep design philosophy. Collaborating with like-minded brands is exactly what we aspire to do. We have also applied to the Circular Design Challenge (CDC), which supports innovation in sustainable fashion. Let us see where that goes. Like I said before, we are taking small, thoughtful steps forward—and this feels like a promising start. Do you have plans to extend Disobedience's offerings beyond footwear, perhaps into other fashion accessories or apparel, while maintaining your commitment to sustainability and design innovation? Yes, we have already expanded a bit—we make men's boots as well. But our designs are essentially gender-neutral. The same boot that is available for women is offered in men's sizes too. It is more about the style and construction than strict gender labels. As for apparel, I do not see myself going in that direction. People often say, 'never say never,' but honestly, there are already so many incredibly talented designers doing amazing work in clothing. I would not want to enter that space just for the sake of it. It has to feel necessary and aligned with our ethos—and right now, it does not. However, bags is something we are seriously considering. We have been brainstorming two or three bag concepts that would carry Disobedience's distinct design language. They would not be conventional designs; they would have our own twist and storytelling built into them. We have also casually discussed doing baby shoes at some point. These are all ideas that are floating around, nothing too concrete yet. No big expansion plans—just thoughtful, small steps as and when it feels right. Our focus will always remain on sustainability, innovation, and keeping our designs meaningful. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Disobedience in the next five years, and how do you envision the brand's role in shaping the future of sustainable luxury fashion? I am not someone who believes in grand projections or heavy brand propaganda. What I can say with confidence is that Disobedience is already becoming the change I wished to see—whether in terms of design, material innovation, or approach to sustainability. I do believe more brands will emerge in this space over the next five years, and that is a good thing. The movement towards conscious fashion is already underway, and it is only going to grow. I look forward to seeing how the ecosystem evolves and how we all learn from one another. Personally, I do not plan too far ahead. I tend to focus on the next six months or a year. Taking baby steps feels more manageable to me. Sometimes thinking five years ahead can be overwhelming—there is a sense of anxiety about the unknown. But I have come this far by taking it one step at a time, and I think that is what will continue to guide me. So yes, I may not have a grand five-year roadmap, but I do know the direction: stay true to our values, remain open to growth, and keep building Disobedience with intention. DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Rachel McAdams, raised in St. Thomas, receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Actress Rachel McAdams poses for photographs on the red carpet for the movie 'Disobedience' during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on September 10, 2017. (Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS) The Notebook and Mean Girls actress, who originated from a small town in southwestern Ontario will receive her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born in London, 46-year-old Rachel McAdams was raised in St. Thomas, where she became involved in acting as a teenager. Now, she's one of 35 honorees in the 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame as announced on Wednesday. The actress became involved in acting at a young age, and by age 13, she was performing in Shakespearean productions at summer theatre camp. Her breakout role in Mean Girls as Regina George landed her on the short list of Hollywood's hottest young actresses. In 2016, she received an academy award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the film 'Spotlight.' McAdams' newest film, Send Help, will be released on Jan. 30, 2026. The dates for the star ceremonies have yet to be released.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Dusting off the blues
From supersized shapes to soft hues, the classic and timeless denim seems to have gotten a refreshing update. Even celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jennifer Lopez and Rashmika Mandanna have been spotted in different versions of late—from barrel shape to skinny styles. Moreover, the newly crafted denims with clever details make it all the more utilitarian. For instance, Onitsuka Tiger's recent denim series focuses on high-quality, Japanese-made denim crafted by a unique dyeing process. The denim pieces in the brand's iconic yellow colour are created by carefully bleaching the base indigo blue fabric and then over-dyeing it with yellow dye. This process allows for a distinctive colour that highlights the yellow while retaining the depth of the indigo blue. Also worth mentioning is Savana's Dare to Denim line which is all about flexibility, breathability, and unrestricted motion. Yogesh Agarwal, Country Partner of the brand shares, 'The process of recontextualising denim for activewear was about rethinking structure—introducing lighter weaves, stretch infusions, and ergonomic cuts that allow movement without compromising on style.' Flexibility and Freedom There's a shift towards denim that moves with you, rather than holds you back. Styles like stretch-infused joggers, wide-leg denims with flexible waistbands, and relaxed cargo fits are making denim more adaptable for an active lifestyle. It's about comfort meeting style. 'Denim isn't just about the look anymore; it's about how it feels and functions in everyday movement,' Agarwal adds. Oppressive summer heat calls for textile which is soft and breathable as opposed to something thick and nubby. Anita Soundar, Founder and Designer of Disobedience notes that the brand's denims are cotton based and most importantly biodegradable. 'Our denim shoes are made from post-consumer textile and hand woven on looms,' she shares. The label has crafted a series of calf boots in denims and they are lined with 100 per cent cotton which provides comfort and breathability during summer. 'We also make a range of flats made with handwoven recycled denims and these are apt for a day out in summer,' she adds.
