Plain Tiger Spotlight: Love Change

Where Luxury Meets Leisure

By Renee Fortune

Love Change founder and creative director, Dhirta Rikhye has always been a designer, but not always of the fashion persuasion. She built a career as a jewellery designer. But 2014 arrived and she felt inclined to follow the winds of change. 

Love Change began as a self study – a personal yearning for more, but with very little idea of what that would mean. As part of her reflections, Dhirta conducted extensive research on the fashion industry, looking into some of the harsh realities that underpin the way that fashion has been manufactured for centuries. 

The more she read, the more she felt drawn to take up the mantle of change and be a part of the movement towards minimising the negative effects that fashion has on people and the planet. That, in a nutshell, sandwiched somewhere between desire and necessity, is how Love Change was born. 

Dhirta’s mission and design philosophy has always been to stay far away from the copy-and-paste aesthetics that abound on the shelves and racks of conventional clothing brands. This philosophy formed the basis of her brand’s point of differentiation. Add to that a value proposition based on sustainability principles, and you’ve got a winning formula.

Love Change is undeniably playful as a brand, and is unafraid to dive into the world of prints and texture while embracing all things monochrome and classic. Scroll through the collection on Plain Tiger and you’ll find quintessential colourways like white, cream and grey. But you’ll also find a generous dose of the mystical shades – alluring indigo, striking red and earthy green. 

Love Change specialises in resort wear, but Dhirta has always endeavoured to take it a step further. In the range you’ll find clothing for children that bring crowd-favourite silhouettes to the world of kidswear – swing dresses, harem pants, frocks and tailored shirts. It’s wonderfully endearing that Love Change has found creative ways to move beyond the throwaway culture of fast fashion; particularly in children’s clothing, and to introduce an element of value that speaks to the need to shop, dress and live more consciously, starting with the little ones.

Expanding on the Love Change stance on sustainability, Dhirta explains that it is the social imperative of sustainability in which she is particularly invested. “Love Change gives families of artisans the chance to work together from the comfort of their own homes. We work with clusters of villages where tailoring and fashion production has been passed down the generations.  

By employing these skilled workers, we offer them a chance to leverage their skills to earn a living in a way that doesn’t necessitate moving into urban centres in order to live and thrive. Here, in their own native villages, they are far away from the atrocious working conditions that many fashion workers find themselves in. It is our way of contributing to change.” she explains. 

For Dhirta, there has never been a better time to tap into the conscious consumer movement and raise awareness around the hidden cost of fast fashion. Her hard work and determination has helped her to build a brand that is arguably the top-rated sustainable luxury label in Goa. She now has her sights set on the Middle East and territories within the Northern Pacific. Exciting times lie ahead. 

The success of her brand has been a key indicator of changing consumer trends, attitudes and demands. “Love Change is in the perfect position to serve the growing community of emerging consumers who look beyond the face value of the labels and brands they support. They dig deeper, ask questions and consider impact above all else. These are the consumers of the future. And together, we’re driving the fashion industry towards its next evolutionary step.”
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