NOSUCH THING AS FASHION WASTE

Prerna Gauba Sibbal

Be it tonnes of textile scrap dumped in landfills or the waste generated due to fast changing trends, fashion’s ways have always been criticised for polluting the environment. But the Covid-19 pandemic made people realise that this situation has to change. Fashion aspires to become sustainable responsible, transparent and compassionate now.

Fabric waste has now become the new gold. Designers are using it in myriad interesting ways to launch fresh collections. On World Environment Day today, we talk to designers who have refreshed their production philosophy to cut down on their carbon footprints.

Talking about the new developments in the industry, designer Shruti Sancheti says, “2020 was a year which changed a lot of things. We were left with surplus fabric. Our focus became season fluid fashion. We used leftovers to create reversible, versatile pieces. We also created bags, neckpieces, masks etc. We are being judicious with ordering any new fabric.”

Many designers are also putting leftover fabrics to good use by creating artistic patchworks. “Our textiles are handcrafted. They are too precious to be discarded. Any scraps left from production cycles are stored for use in a multitude of ways. We patch them into quilted textiles that are used for creating unique garments. We also use the smaller scraps, even those that are an inch across to either patch, or do tiny shibori swatches to repurpose them as art pieces or accents in quilted textiles,” says designer Amit Vijaya of Amrich Designs.

Designer Vaishali Shadangule also believes in utilising waste in the most creative ways. “The reason for me is not only ecological, but also out of the respect for my weavers. Crafts take long hours and days to produce. The cutting itself is done in a way to minimise wastage, following lines of draping rather than typical cutting patterns. What is left after that is used for making accessories and for home interiors details,” she says.

An upcycledd chair made of leeftover muslin fabrric placed att designerdesigr Vaishali Shadangule’s store

A poster of film Saudagar & (left) Padma Khanna