One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That is the mantra in today’s world. Upcycling is emerging as the new catchphrase as designers are experimenting and utilising waste to create almost everything — right from furniture to clothes. And why not? Upcycling utilises discards, conserves resources, sparks creativity. In fact, it adds age and edge to an item. And it’s eco-style at its sexiest and most responsible best.

Upcycling and recycling
Upcycling adds something old to something new to make it a little different, whereas recycling involves converting something old to something new. “Upcycling means taking a used or discarded product — in the fashion world, this usually means textile scraps or leftovers — and refashioning it to create an entire new product of higher quality. Whereas recycling is specifically something that has been used before and requires the waste to go through a change in its state,” says Bengaluru-based designer Deepika Govind. “Upcycling is an entirely new and interesting concept which is helping designers put their creativity to great use while doing their bit to save mother earth. It’s a game in which everybody wins,” adds designer Sonia Jetleey.
British fashion designer Christopher Raeburn upcycles military fabrics, blankets and parachutes. Designer Orsola de Castro, known as the ‘Queen of Upcycling’, fashions clothing out of recycled luxury materials. Maison Martin Margiela makes innovative sartorial use of leather tyres, tubes, pen caps, old wigs, canvases. Fashion label Xuly Bet’s founder Kouyaté recycles flea market finds and and patches them together with his African sensibilities.
Closer home, grassroot level artisans from Gujarat, Bihar and West Bengal are in the true sense practicing sustainable fashion as they upcycle fabrics and embroideries. The women of Kutch have done patchwork for centuries.

So have women from West Bengal, who added kantha stitches to recycled textiles, bags, quilts. The Lambadis of the South and tribal women of Rajasthan make exquisite patchwork quilts, sheets, torans and jackets. But it was Jharkhand-born and now Germany-based fashion designer Chandra Prakash Jha of the label Cocccon UG, who gave the craft the label of “upcycling”. He introduced modern design into the sustainable fashion scene in India.

Trash to treasure

Veteran designer Niki Mahajan has been practicing sustainable fashion for over two decades. Their special line ‘Jora’ has garments created from discarded, unused and waste material. It is also the brand’s most popular line. Says Mahajan, “Being a women’s wear designer we reuse and reinvent. We reuse ends of cut pieces, embroidery, trims, laces, etc. We patch all of these to make impressive jackets, borders and accessories. Each piece is different and the outcome is always very precious and special.”
Designer Ritu Kumar has been using leftover fabrics for her collections. “We give the byproducts to women clusters who with great imagination patchwork these fabrics into yard goods which are then used for making garments or used as patchwork dresses and tops. I personally like to work with heirlooms and leftover fabrics,” she says.
Designer Urvashi Kaur uses cut pieces and trims from pocket scarves and stoles to create textures, patterns and surface embellishment on garments. Pam Mehta revamps vintage saris from her mother’s closet while using vintage fabrics, embroidered patches or embellishments to create something that has a sliver of the past, thus giving heritage textiles a modern spin. And Sonia Jetleey loves to convert leftover swatches from fabrics into carry bags.
“Personally, I have always believed that any fabric that has not lived its life should not be discarded. Often odd pieces from older collections are taken out, re-cut and crafted into entirely different garments. While it is a challenge to the creative instincts, the idea is to minimise waste and make the best use of the craft detailing and textile that the garment once wore,” says Govind, who has also made kidswear out of wasted textiles and worked with weavers on old saris and curtains from flea markets to transform them into quilts, throws, footmats and durries.

Unburdening the earth

We take so much from this earth and our needs never really end. As the fashion industry in India is growing, it is resulting in added pollution caused by extensive use of chemicals and dyes. Upcycling is a corrective measure in this regard, feel eco-conscious designers. “The earth is choking. It is high time we let it breathe. So the less we unburden her the healthier she becomes. Upcycling would mean cutting of less trees and putting crop reserves to better use. Creating a greener earth will lead to a cleaner environment,” says Mahajan.

Ethical and gorgeous

The upcycled garment should not be a compromise, warns Govind and adds it should be stylish and well cut. “Just because it is a part of eco-fashion, it does not have to be an oatmeal coloured, shapeless garment. It should be beautiful, luxurious and desirable. If you create a masterfully cut-and-finished and aesthetically appealing product, the buyer will definitely pick it up," exclaims Govind.
“It’s like seeing a metamorphosis take place. Imagine it as a caterpillar finally revealing its true beauty,” says Jetleey.
The buyers adore the upcycled pieces. Indian designers have got a good response from the buyers in UK and Europe.
“Large companies like Anthropologie in the US and Isetan in Japan are highly appreciative of our work and actively encourage us to create awareness about upcycling,” says Mahajan.

Cost-effective

Upcycling also helps in effectively reducing the cost of the garment as part of it is derived from the waste pool. “Buyers definitely look at upcycling as the future as it reduces the role of manual labour and material, hence reducing the price of the ready ensemble,” says Mehta.
There is a huge pressure on manufacturers and producers to keep up with the ever increasing demand, which lead to considerable increase in costs of fabrics and raw materials, in turn leading to an increase in prices at all stages of production. “By reusing existing products or waste, one reduces the pressure on the manufacturers and eliminates waste — almost everything being reused makes operations more efficient and increases profitability,” explains Kaur.
Seconds designer Sanchita Ajjampur, “As the material is readily available, it slows down the factory’s supply demands. And there is an immediate gain of longer lead times for delivery, in turn reducing the long overtime work of garment workers, in turn bringing down the price of the garments to a certain extent.”
Upcycling is still at a nascent stage in India but it’s definitely not a mere fad. It’s about fashion with a conscience. And our designers are giving it their vote — in beautiful earnest.