–Katya Moorman
07.25.25
Q+A with Ritul Rai
Nottingham Trent University
MA 2024
The Last Biobloom
At No Kill Magazine, we’re after what might change the game — not just what’s next. As a member of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network and a platform recognized internationally for championing sustainable design, we spotlight the voices shaping fashion’s future.
In Next Gen / No Kill, we highlight standout emerging designers whose work redefines how creativity and responsibility can coexist. From New York’s top programs and beyond, these are the talents rewriting fashion’s rules with intelligence, craft, and conscience.
Ritul Rai’s work immediately stood out to us for its poetic balance of concept and material innovation. “The Last Biobloom” doesn’t just aestheticize nature—it collaborates with it. By working with agar-based bioplastics and non-toxic pigments, [they] are part of a new generation of designers redefining what luxury can mean: ephemeral, responsible, and alive. There’s a quiet confidence in the pieces, a sense that beauty and decay can coexist—and that fashion’s future depends on exactly this kind of thinking. It’s this rare mix of vision and technical curiosity that marks Rai as one to watch in sustainable design. Below she shares more about her work and process.
What is the inspiration or concept behind your collection?
The Last Biobloom explores the natural cycle of growth, decay, and renewal—finding beauty in every stage, especially the often-overlooked moments of transformation. Inspired by flowers like roses, hydrangeas, and lilies, the collection translates their symbolism into fashion, reflecting change, impermanence, and rebirth.
I worked with glow-in-the-dark agar-based bioplastic and non-toxic pigments to create garments that are both visually striking and biodegradable. The goal was to challenge fashion’s throwaway culture by designing pieces that decompose as gracefully as they’re made—inviting a more thoughtful, cyclical approach to design
What’s one material or technique you’re currently obsessed with?
I’m currently drawn to kombucha leather, a biodegradable material made from bacterial cellulose. Its organic texture and low-impact production process really excite me. While I haven’t started experimenting with it yet, I’m keen to explore its potential—especially how it can be integrated into fashion both as a fabric and as a medium for surface embellishment.
What does fashion mean to you today?
Fashion today is more than aesthetics—it’s a platform for change and responsibility. It’s a way to express identity and emotion, but also to question systems, rethink consumption, and offer more sustainable solutions.
What’s one thing you wish the fashion industry would leave behind—and one thing it should embrace?
The Fashion Industry should leave behind fast fashion’s culture of excess—mass production, disposability, and environmental disregard. It should embrace Biodesign, collaboration with science, and transparency. Fashion has the potential to become regenerative if we allow new systems and materials to take root.
Who or what has shaped your design values most?
Nature has always been my biggest teacher—it’s imperfect, ever-changing, and yet deeply intentional.
I’m also influenced by creatives who challenge the norm, especially those working at the intersection of sustainability and innovation. My academic journey helped solidify these values, encouraging a design process that is conscious, curious, and future-focused.
If you could design for anyone in the world, who would it be—and why?
I’d love to design for Emma Watson. I’ve admired her since I was a child—not just for her roles, but for the way she’s grown into someone who uses her influence with purpose. Her dedication to ethical fashion and sustainability aligns perfectly with my own values. Designing for her would be both a full-circle moment and an opportunity to contribute to a meaningful, conscious fashion narrative.
Three things keeping you sane right now
Sketching while listening to music—it’s my way of resetting, slow mornings with tea and a notebook to clear my thoughts
One word to describe your design approach
Evolving
Where can we find you online?
Instagram, LinkedIN
