Conscious clothing, eco-friendly clothing, ethical or sustainable fashion, zero waste collection, upcycled garments, recycle, reuse… we’ll be hearing more of these terms in times to come. Speaking in holistic terms, garment houses that aim to provide sustainable clothing emphasise on sourcing raw material from fair trade processes, use hand-woven fabric and natural dyes to create durable ensembles that are good for the wearer and the environment. A few design houses take this a step further and try to minimise or avoid throwing away scrap material.
When fabric is cut to design any garment, there’s bound to be wastage. The fringe pieces of fabric and leftover threads, which are normally discarded, can be used to design accessories or create new textures on garments and home furnishing.
Hyderabad representation
April is observed worldwide as the Environmental Awareness Month and a host of events are organised. Asmita Marwa, who will be participating in Global Sustainable Fashion Week to be held in Budapest between April 12 and 14, explains how she uses piles of scrap pieces of fabric at her workshop. “There are several leftover pieces of fabric when you design a garment. I don’t throw away anything, not even threads. We use leftover material for piping, trimming or design fringes that can be used to create textures on garments,” she says.
Upcycling is an art that requires man hours and creativity. Cushion covers, bags and pouches are designed with leftover fabric. The smaller fabric pieces go into kitsch accessories — arm bands, bangles, earrings and even pillow frills. “The mind has to work harder but it gives me a creative high to re-use scrap,” says Asmita.
Agrima Batra, the youngest designer to participate in Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2016, debuted with a zero waste collection, ‘To the Stars and Back’ or ‘Astraea’. A graduate from Parsons School of Design, New York, Agrima showcased garments with patchworks created with colourful, contrasting fabric pieces. The patchworks became the USP of her line that included slit pants with jackets that had origami appliqués, pencil pants, one-shoulder jumpsuit with shoulder patches, kimono wrap dresses and one-sleeve gowns in Rose Quartz and Serenity, the colours of 2016.
Cued into the pitfalls of wastage, Agrima has the urge to minimise waste without compromising on design. “I’m hoping to have hit two birds with one stone, as my method of reusing scrap has now become my USP. Before closing my workshop everyday, I go on a little treasure hunt searching and collecting scrap. I enjoy the experimenting with new ways of making the scraps look aesthetic,” she says.
Kriti Tula’s label Doodlage exhibited chic outfits that used industrial waste. Inspired by ‘The Backpacker’, her collection ‘Travel Tails’ had simple garments that turned luxurious with the use of surface textures and treatments that stemmed from scrap. The range included vertical pinstriped skirts teamed with jackets and multicoloured jumpsuits crafted from patchwork fabric.
Doodlage was formed a few seasons ago when Kriti, working with a fashion firm, saw the waste that’s generated in the industry. Initially, Kriti worked with a combination of postproduction waste and pre-owned garments. “These garments were processed, deconstructed and redesigned,” she says. “However, we still have a long way to go with the perception of wearing pre-owned garments, so we are working with upcycling postproduction waste from the industry.” Working with ‘waste’ has its limitations, she admits, but the Doodlage team takes it as a challenge. “Each collection is inspired by the raw materials we source; it is like sitting with pieces of a puzzle and putting them together.”
Conserving resources
The fashion world is inching towards a more sustainable, eco-friendly approach. Waste can be minimised, she feels, in simple steps: “Big design houses are built on fast paced production for large numbers. They could either source fair trade, organic or naturally dyed fabric, which with their volumes would make a huge difference. Consequently big design houses could have smaller teams dedicated to working on sustainable projects and proper waste disposal. At the end of the day, it’s also about conserving resources. Simple things like using solar panels, harvesting rain water and proper waste disposal help.”
Asmita agrees, “Everyone is getting conscious and trying to manage waste better. Fashion is an extension of this lifestyle and I’m glad people are ready to pay a good price for upcycled garments and accessories.”
