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Numerous avenues exist for pursuing a profession in fashion. Kahan Chavda, BSBME ’16, initiated his scuba diving adventures off the Florida Keys.

“‘What are those fish?’ They’re stunning,” Chavda remembers inquiring of the divemaster. The reply was immediate and passionate. “He lectured for 10 minutes!”

It turned out that the fish were lionfish, an eye-catching yet invasive species indigenous to the Indo-Pacific. During the 1970s, several dozen lionfish entered the Caribbean Sea. Today, these fish are causing severe ecological damage throughout the Atlantic region. In some locales, their population counts have surged to over 1,000 fish per acre.

“Lionfish will consume anything that moves. It’s a narrative of ecological and economic devastation.”

Alumnus Kahan Chavda

“Lionfish will consume anything that moves,” Chavda states. “They can strip a coral reef of life in a matter of weeks. They prey on the juvenile grouper and snapper that Caribbean fishermen depend upon. It’s a narrative of ecological and economic devastation.”

Currently, Chavda serves as a co-founder and the chief commercial officer of Inversa, a Florida-based enterprise at the forefront of ethically sourced leathers. Founded in 2020, Inversa made its debut at Paris Fashion Week last September in partnership with renowned Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst.

While initially astonished and disillusioned, Chavda was also captivated. As a biomedical engineering student at WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering, he learned to deconstruct large, intricate challenges into manageable elements. “What can we accomplish? How do we navigate uncertainties? How do we introduce some structure?”

Every python element in Hearst’s spring/summer 2025 collection, “Summoning the Goddesses,” was crafted using Inversa’s line of invasive Burmese python leather. This aggressive constrictor has severely impacted native mammal populations, which include foxes, raccoons, opossums, and cottontail and marsh rabbits, since its introduction to the Everglades through the exotic pet trade.

“Sustainability in fashion presents a significant issue,” remarks Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, associate professor and head of fashion design in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. “Loss of biodiversity is a considerable concern. Destruction of natural habitats is a substantial issue. Yet somehow, Kahan and Inversa are channeling the creativity and influence of fashion to rehabilitate and safeguard endangered species and ecosystems.

“What could be more commendable than that?”

Returning to campus

Ruppert-Stroescu is a recognized expert on sustainable textiles. She holds a patent for RECLEM, a method for textile upcycling and sustainable garment design. She supports innovations like “vegan leather,” which strive to eliminate the detrimental effects of large-scale leather production.

“Vegan leather appears to be a favorable solution,” she articulated during a recent presentation at TEDxStLouisWomen. “It protects animals, correct? However, most vegan leather is plastic-based. Like other plastics, it will remain in landfills for centuries before biodegrading. Additionally, it can’t match the comfort of tanned natural hide.”

Last spring, Ruppert-Stroescu invited Chavda back to campus for a workshop with six senior fashion designers. In addressing the group, he recounted the origins, aspirations, and launch of Inversa. He outlined early iterations of the business, including forays into food supply and jewelry, which ultimately influenced the company’s direction. He discussed sourcing logistics, humane and regulatory standards, as well as the biochemistry of fish and reptile skin. He elucidated how maintaining an ecosystem free from invasive species aids in the restoration of native flora and fauna.

While speaking just miles from the Mississippi River, he elaborated on how silverfin, also recognized as invasive river carp, is undermining the world’s fourth-largest watershed.

“In certain regions, carp have usurped 95% of the [native] biomass,” Chavda points out. “This implies that there are sections of the river nearly devoid of native life. There’s no native vegetation. There’s no native fish. It has created an existential threat throughout the Mississippi.”

Start imagining

However, Chavda didn’t solely share anecdotes. He also brought physical samples.

Inversa currently revitalizes three ecosystems — the Caribbean reefs, the Greater Everglades, and the Mississippi River Basin — utilizing three types of leather: lionfish, python, and silverfin, all available in various colors and finishes. The seniors, in turn, contributed detailed sketches. The objective for the day? Pair the appropriate materials with the right accessories.

“As a fashion designer, when you handle a material, a world of possibilities begins to unfold,” Indigo Amunategui remarks. “You understand how it would drape on a body. That opened a realm of opportunities.”

Accompanying the group was Gabe Batson, co-founder of the local luxury goods firm Tufts & Batson, who provided insights and technical guidance. Each designer subsequently selected one sketch, designated one or more Inversa leathers, and incorporated their choices into a final tech pack.

In fashion industry terminology, “a tech pack comprises design specifications, measurements, and details,” clarifies Brooke.
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Cowan. “Documented and compiled into a file, it can be handed off to anyone involved in crafting or producing the item.

“Leather possesses a significant structural allure,” remarks Cowan, who created a streamlined handbag in burgundy and camel silverfin. “There are numerous aspects to experiment with regarding form and design. Collaborating with these fascinating leathers truly motivated me.”

On the runway

In the upcoming weeks, Tufts & Batson crafted prototypes. On April 26, these items made their debut on the runway before a crowd of hundreds, as part of “Voilà,” the Sam Fox School’s 96th annual Fashion Design Show.

Vivian Nguyen crafted a petite clutch in red Inversa python. The piece is part of her capstone collection, “Intertwined,” which draws on the Red String of Fate, an East Asian folklore symbol representing the strength of relationships.

“I drew motivation from my Vietnamese background,” Nguyen expresses. “I remembered the red envelopes my parents would give to me and my family during Lunar New Year.”

Emily Carlin selected sapphire lionfish to enhance the warm tones of her “Reverie” collection. Maggie Maichel designed a spacious carryall using alternating strips of green lionfish and black silverfin. Julia Yuan merged white silverfin and natural python to create a vividly textured geometric purse characterized by circles and arcs.

Amunategui, whose retro-inspired “Venus in Chrome” collection explores beauty ideals through an industrial design perspective, designed a minaudiere (a type of evening bag) in quilted red Inversa python. However, choosing that material was not straightforward.

“I was captivated by every material we were shown,” Amunategui shares. “It’s remarkable how something initially perceived as negative can be transformed into such beauty.”

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