Revival Projects, Pre-Loved Couture Emerge To Boost India's Fashion Upcycle Movement

Not too long ago, terms like 'sustainability' and 'recycle' were often used loosely as though doing your bit for the environment was just a trend to follow. The buzz around slow fashion and mindful consumption continues to draw attention, and with noted fashion experts driving initiatives to turn words to action, it's safe to say that the fashion upcycle movement in India has begun on a serious note. It also took a pandemic to get us all to ponder over our purchasing habits as we used the lockdown time to declutter and organise our closets only to realise the stacks of clothes, shoes and accessories that we unnecessarily hoard.

Consumers are now starting to ask the right questions - do we need to buy so much, who made our clothes, where do they come from, how are these clothes and accessories impacting the environment and carbon footprint? The need to make conscious fashion choices for the sake of the environment and learning to value and preserve our purchases are driving initiatives like revival projects and making hand-me-down clothing (newly termed 'pre-loved') chic.

Pre-Loved Couture Making A Start

In an effort to build back better after the pandemic, it led entrepreneurs Pernia Quereshi and Shehlina Soomro to launch their venture named Saritoria, the first global e-store for pre-loved South Asian luxury fashion and thus starting the pre-loved revolution in India with it. Co-founder Shehlina Soomro says, "South Asian clothes take up a lot of closet space and hardly get re-worn in comparison to Western wear, despite the huge amount of human and environmental resources required for each garment. Given 85% of textiles ultimately end up in land-fills or are incinerated, it was amazing and also shocking to discover that, unlike for Western brands, there was no easily accessible solution to extend the life of the garments. So Saritoria was born, a business in pre-loved clothing."

Also read: What Is Sustainable Fashion? 20 Reasons To Opt For Slow Fashion

^{Saritoria, the first global e-store for pre-loved South Asian luxury fashion}

Co-founder Pernia Qureshi says, "Upcycled fashion is the need of the hour. The fashion industry is one of the greatest polluters damaging the environment worldwide. With a global climate crisis looming over us, it is our duty as representatives in the fashion industry to become responsible in the way we sell and consume fashion. Our aim, at Saritoria, is to educate our clients about a better way to shop, which helps them get access to amazing designer fashion, make cash and save the planet at the same time. The idea is to elongate the life span of a garment by using it again and again. This is called a circular economy and that is what the future of fashion should be."

'Second hand' as a term is not without inhibitions. So, when it comes to couture, it's hard to imagine customers warming up to hand-me-down clothing. But Saritoria makes an impressive start. "The response has been overwhelming. Initially we had more international buyers from the west coast USA, Belgium, Norway, UAE to Australia. Now into our third month, the majority of buyers are from India. We love that we've helped to trigger a shift in mindset and are helping Indian consumers to embrace pre-love," adds Shehlina.

Also read: The Evolving Indian Fashion Industry And Its Spotlight On Indian Crafts

^{Saritoria aims to educate clients about a better way to shop}

On Saritoria, you can not only buy authentic creations from fashion designers like Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Anamika Khanna and the like, but also sell your couture pieces that you have hardly re-worn or are finally ready to say goodbye to so that others can wear them with as much love.

Pernia adds, "There are so many beautiful pieces on Saritoria right now that are in great condition. There are a few stunning Raw Mango silk and silk-cotton sarees. These are such classic wardrobe staples that are seasonless! There is also this beautiful Anamika Khanna black and white skirt-cape set that I have my eyes on. It's super chic and wearable. Lastly, my best friend Vani and I had bought these stunning Anita Dongre lehengas a few years back that were the exact same except hers was in hot pink and mine was lime green. We only wore it once and decided to list it on Saritoria. They have gota patti work on it making them traditional with statement cholis and are definitely a great find for whoever ends up buying them."

The Revival Project: Twice-Loved Sarees

How many of you have held onto precious heirloom pieces passed through generations in your family? In India, preserving and at times even recreating your mother's bridal lehenga or your grandmother's saree is not new. Even processes like rafu are common to mend any damage. Taking this practice a step further is Ekaya Banaras, with their new initiative called The Revival Project. It is the fashion brand's effort to revive, recreate and restore heirloom pieces owned by their patrons.

Palak Shah, CEO of Ekaya Banaras says, "We've been restoring pieces for our patrons since the very beginning. Now, we want more people to get involved. And, so, The Revival Project humbly invites them to share their one-of-a-kind, pre-loved sarees, which our weavers will recreate and revive as new age heirlooms for future generations. The whole idea is to pay homage to the creator and the preserver. The techniques remain the same, only some motifs or some nuanced 'quirks' have been reworked."

^{The project aims to revive, recreate and restore heirloom pieces owned by patrons}

Needless to say that the twice-loved sarees have been painstakingly preserved and recreated. "Our weavers have been engaged in a meticulous back and forth process for reference, to understand how the saree was originally made. It has been the most time consuming part and the precise amount of time taken has differed from saree to saree. In some cases, the focus has been a detail or composite of details, in others, we had to effectively recreate the entire saree," says Palak.

She further adds, "There is one tissue saree that required yarn dyeing in only specific parts of the pallu or pleats. The artisanal effort has yielded spectacular results. It's one of the more intricate pieces of the project, and one of my favourites too. The portion by portion yarn dyeing has helped create a beautiful multidimensional effect and it has great visual appeal. Though I would like to say that every single saree of The Revival Project is very precious."

^{"The whole idea is to pay homage to the creator and the preserver"}

The sarees under this project range around Rs 58,000 to 3 lakhs. If you have an old damaged heirloom saree, lehenga, or textile piece, then you can reach out to Ekaya, who will help restore it.

Fashion upcycle is no doubt the current buzzword, but unlike fashion trends that we feel the urge to flaunt, this is not a movement to participate in because it's in vogue. Rather, an effort made towards mindful consumption can have ample repercussions in protecting the environment in the long run.