Upcycling in Fashion: Designers Embrace Waste Reduction and Sustainability
The fashion industry faces a significant challenge in reducing waste and promoting sustainability. However, designers are increasingly turning to upcycling as a solution. By utilizing discarded garments, fabric residues, and other materials, they create new products that reduce environmental impact and promote a circular economy.
Stella McCartney’s Falabella bag campaign, featuring Cara Delevingne amidst a sea of discarded objects, highlights the issue of unsold inventory and the need for sustainable practices. Various independent designers are also embracing upcycling, including Doodlage, which launched the world’s first self-destructing packaging for their products.
Juhu Beach Studio, founded by Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta, sources pre-consumer waste from manufacturing hubs to create colorful Y2K accessories and home décor. Heart to Haat, an initiative by Karishma Sahni Khan, gives a new life to waste generated at her label Ka-Sha by repurposing materials and extending the longevity of products.
Doh Tak Keh’s ‘Tan ki Jwala’ collection draws inspiration from Bollywood glam and uses discarded materials to create edgy corsets and sequined garments. Samaaj collaborates with artisans in India to create menswear using waste fabrics, such as block printed textiles for unique shirts and quilted blankets made from scrap.
Rkive City, led by Ritwik Khanna, focuses on salvaging vintage pieces and remanufacturing post-consumer garments and textiles. He recently collaborated with The Store on a collection using their signature hand block printed fabrics. Amesh Wijesekara, a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize, works with deadstock fabrics from Sri Lanka’s street markets to create artisanal and hand-knitted pieces.
Polite Society launched ‘Poli-morph,’ a collection created from deadstock and textile residues generated in their own studio. Patch Over Patch, founded by Kavisha Parikh, uses discarded industrial fabric to create patchwork jackets and upper garments. Paiwand, founded by Ashita Singhal, upcycles textile waste into apparel and décor through artisanal techniques like hand-embroidery and patchwork.
Ridhi Jain Satija of Studio Medium incorporates bandhani waste and textile offcuts into her garments and home décor, creating sustainable and aesthetically pleasing pieces. These designers and initiatives demonstrate the potential of upcycling in reducing waste, promoting circularity, and creating fashionable and ethical products.
