Not a wasted effort

Shoes made of sarees

The problem with fast fashion is the amount of waste we discard, which ends up in landfills. But 90 per cent of these throw-away items can be re-worn, recycled or upcycled. That's something designer and Mumbai girl Akanksha Kaila Akashi realised, which led her to start Refash, a platform that brings together designers, brands and artisans who create new, contemporary attire and accessories out of post-consumer and industrial waste. You can peruse the collections of shoes made using sarees; jewellery made from discarded marble; clothes made out of factory surplus; and stationery made with old newspapers. "Cities like Mumbai need to lead the way in this kind of a movement primarily because of the amount of waste we generate. We should embrace sustainable solutions for activities that are part of our everyday lives. And a lot of people are on the lookout for alternative solutions to managing waste across all industries," Akashi tells us.

Akanksha Kaila Akashi (left) and Stefano Funari

Some of these indie labels also take their upcycling initiatives a step further. Take I Was a Sari, for example, which uses pre-owned sarees, tarps, seat belts, leftover industrial embroidery materials and jersey fabrics to make shoes and accessories, while employing underprivileged women artisans. But why sarees? Founder Stefano Funari, who picked up 10 sarees during his maiden trip to Mumbai's Chor Bazaar, says, "When we started working with the women in the slums, who were mostly unskilled, we wanted to use something that is not foreign to them and can be procured easily at a much lower rate than virgin material. We wanted it to be something they could relate to, and which, in a way, tells their stories as well. The saree, worn by most of these women, seemed like the logical choice due to its vibrancy, heritage and cultural importance," he tells us.

Raahul Khadaliya

Meanwhile, in Jaipur, Bhaavya Goenka of Iro Iro is going back to her roots by using silk waste (which would otherwise have been burnt) from the city's scrap yards and manufacturing units, and desi cotton waste from an NGO in Gujarat, to upcycle them via various hand-weaves unique to the area's rural villages.

Bhaavya Goenka of Iro Iro

Stationery junkies can head to Raahul Khadaliya's venture, which uses a diverse range of discarded paper, tyre tubes, ground coffee and onion peels (to extract colours for printing), recycled felt, and discarded thread from weaving units, and VHS tapes.

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