With the aim to push innovation in upcycling, every year the label creates a collection to tell a unique story about the unseen and under-appreciated anthropogene. They create elevated clothing and textiles from waste, (and in the process of upcycling, utilize crafts and knowledge indigenous to India), that are highly functional, designed to last and communicative legacies for our patrons.
In pursuit of a fairer and more transparent fashion industry and to build camaraderie, they collaborate with other businesses to upcycle their waste into functional art pieces (fashion and interior) and help them go circular. They have collaborated with Calico, Japan; Matter prints, Singapore; Doodlage, India; The Summer House, India; The House of MG, India, among others. Collaborations are impactful in advocating responsible design and give their artisans and them an opportunity to practice and keep defining what a refined fabric is when it is made from waste. So far they have upcycled about 5 tonnes of waste off-cuts into handcrafted fabrics saving 100 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere over the past 2.5 years and generated work for 20 artisans based in a village near Jaipur and sold about 80% of it.
With every collection, their objective is not to achieve scale but to attain prosperity throughout the value chain because “the next big thing is lots of small things.” Quality + design + upcycling builds a unique value proposition within a craft, allows a craftsperson to dictate their wage instead of accepting a barely minimum wage given to them and creates quality income opportunities in villages. Taking developmental opportunities to artisans prevents migration, ensures a good quality in not just the products we create but also in the lives of the people who make these products. They design multifunctional products to provide to our customers the power of having multiple styles in their one purchase. So, whenever you invest in an IRO IRO product, you’re not just buying a product, you’re contributing to a revolution-all whilst expressing your personal style.
The Collection
A study in contemplation and a product of reflection, the collection aims to reflect the moments where we realise our oneness with nature, of survival and hope by juxtaposing textured upcycled handwoven fabrics against soft silk reclaimed saris. Each piece can be customised and positions itself to contain a very personal story as it allows the client to contribute their loved but damaged textiles to the architecture of the pieces.
The Stitch
The damaged sari has been mended with the help of embroidery and internal details like a pocket have been added, to add more value to the garment.
Placement weaving
The waste textile scraps has been woven using extra weft only at the bottom of the textile to give a sculpted finish, while the above part is light yarns, giving an impeccable drape and fit on the shoulders and torso. Engineered up-cycled fabric with strategic placement of textile waste during hand-weaving according to zero-waste pattern.
Photography & Art Direction Ritika Singh
Creative Direction Bhaavya Goenka
Handcrafted in collaboration with Bunkars of Chomu
Art direction l Lookbook Aastha Jain, Gitanjli
Illustrations Gitanjli, Stuti Vandana
Featuring Megha Sewani, Muskan Soni
Stitched & finished Shivam International
Footwear in collaboration with Schonfilt Jaipur
Date 12-08-2021
