RIYADH: Satish Sikha went from being a luxury haute couture fashion designer to adopting a nomadic lifestyle, traveling across the globe for over 16 years and collecting celebrity statements on the current state of the environment. Saudi Arabia, he says, is truly an inspirational model for sustainable ventures internationally.
Sikha’s mission in life is to spread awareness around sustainability and green living in order to maintain a livable environment for all. He travels with only a suitcase and a precious 1-kilometer-long piece of fabric banner that carries his message.
Sikha told Arab News in an exclusive interview: “Saudi Arabia is doing wonderful (projects) like The Line and NEOM, where there’s no traffic, and that’s a fantastic thing. It’s not only appreciation, we should follow it. Only a big sudden change in our lifestyle can save us.
“With this project, I’m educating, creating awareness for children, parents, and teachers on the important steps to take care of our planet within our lifestyle so that our children can live a healthy life, just like our great grandparents.”
In 2007, the Indian-Canadian fashion designer had just opened up another bridal gown and evening wear boutique. His handmade designs would cascade in precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds and rubies, and would sell for a hefty price.
Through his philanthropic work with the Sick Kids Foundation, he became particularly fond of a patient named Allison. She opened his new establishment, a moment her mother said was the happiest of her life. When she passed away from a rare disease shortly afterward, Sikha was grief-stricken.
He gave up the lavish lifestyle to investigate the state of humanity and why diseases are so common now. He maintains that our overall health is deteriorating much quicker compared to our ancestors’, largely due to climate change and the failing state of the planet.
“I realized, what am I going to do with all this? With money we can buy anything that we can touch, so I contacted my lawyers to sign and donate everything to the Sick Kids Foundation and I left the country with the clothes (I had) on,” he said.
He auctioned off his last gown for $184,000.
True to his nature as a designer, his new initiative was also laid out on fabric. “I started traveling the world, and visited 72 countries meeting prime ministers, presidents, NASA scientists, foresters, film stars. Each person would write one message on one yard of green eco silk fabric. I provided the fabric and nontoxic markers,” he explained.
The campaign, “Luxury for Soul,” is dedicated to helping others. He also started the 90MillionSmiles Foundation to support underprivileged children in India.
His first showcase was across the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole, the first and only event of its kind to take place in that location. He wanted to make a statement on the climate crisis at a place known for its endless landscapes of ice, now slowly melting away, unseen.
He said: “I’ve seen what’s happening in the Arctic, I’ve been there, I stayed there, I experienced it. Overnight, over 200 miles of glaciers vanished, so I presented the longest fabric on top of the ocean.”
“There are one thousand people and only one tree. Can we live?” one message reads.
He has gathered messages from prominent figures across the world, including the late NASA scientist Hermann Engelhardt, whose designs helped send rockets to Mars, and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. While creating exposure through figures with a prominent following is key for the philanthropist, he also welcomes contributions from the public, as it is a project by the people, for the people.
“Maybe those hits you were getting were only the pressure you needed to shape the diamond you were meant to be,” wrote Saudi Saad Mohammed on a piece of fabric, an excerpt from his upcoming book.
Mohammed had met Sikha almost a decade ago through a mutual charity contact, and had kept in touch virtually since then. He had been following the artists’ work through social media and is a huge admirer of his initiative as an advocate for environmental causes himself.
They met for the first time in Riyadh and Mohammed was honored to take part in the project.
Mohammed told Arab News: “Having so much awareness these days about sustainability, and air and environmental pollution made me realize how lucky we are, and how we can work for such a cause and make it even slightly better. The more you spread awareness, the more people can take care of themselves and the environment around them.”
“Saudis need to be a part of this, because this piece is going to roam around the world and everyone is a citizen of the world,” he said.
