Melbourne, We've Arrived: Punar at The Indian Edit

Punar founder Priya Ravindra took the stage at the first-ever Indian Edit at Melbourne Fashion Week, opening with three words: "Melbourne, we've arrived!"

In brief: The Indian Edit was a sold-out panel and fashion showcase featuring four women-led businesses celebrating Indian design, textiles and entrepreneurship. Punar was one of them.

A first for Melbourne Fashion Week

Priya's message to the room was simple. Indian fashion is no longer just for weddings and festivals. It belongs on the city's fashion calendar, and it plans to keep coming back.

The event was co-organised by Prerna Karnani of Shaadis And More and Molina Asthana of the Asian Australian Alliance.

Priya shared the stage with Meetali Jain of Biba Australia, Ayushi Dixit of Paaro Couture and Amarjeet Kaur Sharma of Kulture by K.

Bringing the makers back into the story

Punar comes from the Sanskrit origin meaning "again". At Punar we create sustainable luxury fashion, lifestyle and everyday essentials. Founded in 2022, Priya is a trailblazer in creating recycled yarn handwoven teatowels that were at the Oscar’s week gifting suite earlier this year.

Punar works with women-led enterprises and artisans in India. At The Indian Edit, Priya called for a reset: putting the makers and the materials, not just the finished piece, on a global stage.

Credit where it's due

Indian craftsmanship has shaped global fashion for centuries, yet its origins often go unnamed on international runways. The Indian Edit set out to change that in a city many Indian Australians call home.

Every Punar piece carries the name of that craft and the hands behind it. Explore our handwoven collections.

Read the full feature on SmartCompany