Students’ venture promotes ethical fashion practices
Two fashion enthusiasts, Nidha Ali and Kaavya Reddy wanted to voice against fast fashion and become a voice that stands for equality. The duo started a venture called Masawi to increase awareness about conscious consumerism and upcycling. “Masawi is an ethical and sustainable clothing brand that promotes slow fashion, equality and self-definition, and focuses on creating a conscious customer. We will be making beautiful garments for women seeking an ethical approach towards fashion. Our garments (that will be launched soon) are made out of love and care — they are breathable, handcrafted, tailor-made, and carry the essence of olden eras in them. Fabrics will be either ethically sourced or reclaimed alongside the use of eco-dyes,” says Nidha Ali, a final year biotechnology student at VIT Vellore.
Nidha has watched her mom dress up and play around with garments by getting sarees stitched into dresses. She wanted to be a fashion journalist but ended being a biotechnologist. “We all get to know our calling sooner or later. I knew my calling in my second year of college and started freelancing and took up various fashion styling projects and worked on my fashion portfolio. I wanted to give back to the community and started Masawi with Kaavya, an architecture student at VIT Vellore. Her never-ending love for art is what makes her desire strong for fashion. We strive to be as transparent as possible and aim to make every part of our production process ecofriendly. Our production is small and Masawi’s made-toorder service means waste is kept to an absolute minimum,” she adds.
Nidha says that upcycled clothing uses fewer raw materials and reduces the harmful impacts of fashion production. “Less water usage, fewer chemicals and carbon emissions and avoiding contributing to the landfill — upcycled clothing exists in stark contrast to the likes of one-season pieces from fast fashion brands,” remarks the young entrepreneur.