CONSCIOUS CLOTHES

Amit Aggarwal, Delhi

Recycling mantra

Waste material to couture clothing

The couture garments in his studio in Lado Sarai are almost an indulgence into a compressed fantasia. Since 2009, Delhibased designer Amit Aggarwal has been using unconventional material like plastic to make garments that have been hailed as the new sustainability alternative. He calls it “conscious fashion”. “Right from the choice of material, to the reason why a particular thing needs to be made and in what conditions and by whom, these are important questions one should ask oneself before creating conscious fashion,” he says.

“I thought an interesting language of newage textiles can be created through traditional craftsmanship using industrial byproducts,” he adds. The malleable, recycled polymer sheet is his signature material.

“Recycling used plastic causes much less damage than many organic fibres, including cotton. Polyester, a derivative from plastic polymer, has seen radical improvements of late. As an alternative textile for clothing, it can easily be moulded into a variety of uses, from daily wear to performance clothing.”

Aggarwal is challenging the notion that only cotton and silk are healthy while plastic is bad for the environment. “Indeed, their use together might ease the pressure brought by the huge consumption of cotton by the industry,” he says.

Aggarwal at his studio in Delhi