Chandrasekhar didn't go to a regular fashion school and doesn't regret his decision not to have been institutionalised. The system, he believes, would have made him follow norms.
He is self-taught, hates the term designer and prefers to be called an artisan. There are rebels in the industry, but he stands out from the clutter with his emphasis on creating zero waste garments. You heard us right. Internationally, ethical or eco-friendly fashion is a wave for which the support is swelling. Young designers and students of fashion are joining the wave to ensure that they don't add to the waste.
Conventional cutting methods, say fashion experts, results in wastage of at least 15 per cent of the fabric. A few designers recycle leftover pieces to make bags and accessories while others simply discard them.
In zero waste method, designers change the way they cut the fabric to allow little or no wastage. A tedious process, this is a result experimentation and in-depth study. There is no forum to certify a zero waste fashion house. “Social responsibility comes from within,” says Chandrashekar, whose collections are now showcased at Anonym, Banjara Hills.
At his studio, Meta-phor, in Bangalore, no piece of fabric or thread is discarded. We reuse every bit of rag or thread. With time, the process has become a part of me and I enjoy doing something creative with the pieces. I love to play with weak fabrics. As an artist, it's almost like having a dialogue with the material,” he says. And it shows. Casual shirt dresses and stylised shirts with neat stitches on silk speak of cuts that do not leave room for much wastage.
He believes in sustainable creations than being driven by commerce and trends. “I don't believe in trends. A designer comes out with a collection for a season and declares that it is here to stay. Six months later, he is back with a new collection proclaiming it will withstand the test of time. How can you subscribe to that?” he asks. Chandrashekar hasn't participated in fashion weeks and prefers to stay out of it. He is glad to have a loyal clientele that understands his approach to fabric and appreciates the way he reuses leftover fabric and threads to make stunning accessories.
Ethically fashionable
# In Hyderabad, designers such as Kedar Maddula, Anand Kabra and Puja Sahney among others reuse discarded pieces of fabric to make cloth bags. Buttons, beads and threads that don't get used for the garment turn into colourful trinkets.
# Ethical Fashion Forum is an international non-profit organisation that recognises work towards sustainable, zero waste fashion. The EFF sponsors Innovation Awards bi-annually for designers who show their creative best with zero wastage designs. The inset picture shows London-based designer Mark Liu, renowned worldwide for his creative cuts and zero waste garments, and one of his award winning creations.
# Timo Rissanen and Caroline Priebe are among the most noted zero waste designers apart from Mark Liu.
