Rethinking, Reusing and Recycling Fashion

Bengaluru ByDesign’s second edition has arrived in the city and along with it has brought a wave of fashion, design, technology and interactive sessions to add hues to the grey, work-life of Bangaloreans.

By Manasvi Gupta

‘One man’s waste is another man’s treasure’—mantra followed by Mariel Manuel—a Swiss artist, textile expert, sustainability pro and fashion designer, who has been displaying ‘re-thinkable fashion’ since the past three years.

She came up with ‘Garbage Dreams’ at Bengaluru ByDesign (Bengaluru International Center)—aimed to bring about a revolution in the fashion industry by inculcating creativity and technology.

The exhibition demonstrates that rags, plastic gunny bags, fishnets, plastic bottles and bits of clothes and thrown away waste can be remoulded into trendy, experimental dresses, pouches and other accessories.

Prerna Gautam, a representative of ‘Garbage Dreams’ briefed about the technology, creativity and innovation behind the ’sustainable fashion’.

Srishti Jaiswal, Project Manager, explained the process behind the installation of eight recycled dresses and various other objects for interior designing. She mentioned that not even a single penny was spent on procuring the materials.

She said, “It is like giving life to materials on the spot.”

“The exhibition involved taking waste materials from vegetable markets, homes of people and car garages. We tried to give the plastic backdrop and some ambience to it—a concept of ‘surface ornamenting’. It’s basically a combination of concept and practicality,” she added.

A makeover of the fashion industry is on its way, believes Srishti Sehgal, a fashion assistant professor. 

She said, “Using sustainable technology to transform the fashion industry is an experimental way to bring awareness about reusing and recycling clothing. It has now been widely used as an epitome of identity and communication.”

“Recycling fashion is a thriving industry around Delhi, and exhibition like this is a step to develop its roots in the city as well,” she added.

Chitkala, a visitor at the exhibition and also a fashion student accepted the fact that not all recycled dresses can be worn on a daily basis.

She said, “From the exhibition, I liked the accessories and two dresses which I can wear on special occasions. But other than that they are just experimental clothes”.

Since it involves the concept of sustainable development, Akshay Heblikar, an environmentalist at Ecowatch applauded the innovation. He said, “Since the process does not involve utilization of fresh raw material, it adds to sustainability to some extent.”

“But we do need to keep a check on the cost of the entire recycling process,” he added.

Bringing to light the other side of re-thinkable fashion, Ms. Singhal said, “Using nature itself to create an alternative may not prove as beneficial it seems. The amount of power, man force and resources consumed to manufacture them don’t also add up to the cost.”

“Even natural dyes used are organic”, she added.

Talking about better solutions and alternatives, Ms. Singhal suggested, “Reducing the production will contribute in a better way. The recycling must start from the beginning itself where the waste cloth is dismantled into yarn. If processed from there, then it can be converted into anything which will definitely be wearable.”