Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta, co-founders of Juhu Seaside Studio (JBS), have turned their ardour for design right into a mission to show scraps of textile waste into quirky, handcrafted merchandise. With an all-women staff and a matter-of-fact dedication to accountable manufacturing practices, they’re rewriting the connection between type and sustainability.
Each graduates of NID Ahmedabad, Prakruthi and Akshara had all the time shared a inventive bond. After commencement, they labored on various things however ultimately discovered themselves again in Mumbai — the nation’s second-largest textile hub.
“We all the time knew that we wished to work with waste,” Prakruthi tells The Higher India.
A dedication to sustainability
From the get-go, sustainability is woven into each facet of their manufacturing course of. They solely use textile waste, each pre-consumer and post-consumer, sourcing supplies from industrial areas and manufacturing items throughout Mumbai. In addition they acquire discarded textiles imported from different nations, making certain their merchandise are crafted from supplies that may in any other case go to waste.
The duo employs a number of handwork methods, together with embroidery and applique, with most gadgets created both by hand or with stitching machines. This concentrate on handcrafting was a deliberate selection from the start, they share.
Each founders have backgrounds steeped in craft practices like weaving and dyeing, enabling them to discover a variety of methods that align with their model’s ethos. They rapidly found that this hands-on strategy not solely creates stunning merchandise but in addition fosters a deeper connection to the supplies and the tales behind them.
Constructing a supportive workspace
Making a secure and empowering atmosphere for his or her staff, together with a concentrate on sustainability, was non-negotiable. At this time, they make use of an all-female staff of round 10 girls, all educated in handwork by the studio.
Prakruthi says, “After we began this model we had been very eager on having an all-women staff. As a result of the normal office has not been designed to have in mind all the opposite issues a girl is anticipated to do in her residence. We designed this workspace to accommodate that.”
Anjali Patil, who’s been working on the studio for the previous two years shares that working on the studio is like being part of a group. “They educated us in handwork methods. And the studio just isn’t like different locations. I’ve issues with my legs, so I require lots of leeway however it’s by no means a difficulty right here. All of us chortle and joke always. It’s a stunning atmosphere to work in.”
At Juhu Seaside Studio, the seek for textile waste is a year-round endeavour. They actively supply small scraps — typically just some inches in measurement — from manufacturing items, together with bigger items discarded as a consequence of dyeing errors or tears. This materials hunt instantly influences their design course of, as every assortment is crafted across the materials they collect.
Whereas this strategy comes with sure limitations, embracing these challenges is central to their work, making the craft of upcycling a rewarding facet of their mission.
From idea to collections
The concept was born in 2019, resulting in their first assortment of solely 60 hats in 2020, made completely from upholstery swatches — that bought out rapidly! The next 12 months, they launched a restricted run of 100 sling luggage.
By 2023, they put out their largest assortment but, that includes 1,500 distinctive items made completely from textile waste. “The primary two child collections had been a proof of idea for us, whether or not it’s even attainable to make these sorts of merchandise with waste, to see if persons are , and if there’s a marketplace for it. And we acquired good indications from there. Nonetheless, the final assortment was proof of idea of whether or not this works as a enterprise,” says Prakruthi.
Noting that it’s a quick trend market the place every part has a sure life span, JBS wished to make one thing out of textile waste that not solely appears totally different but in addition provides items an prolonged life span.
“We wished our merchandise to be designed in such a approach that somebody who cares about sustainability finds one thing that they like. However even should you don’t care about that, you’d nonetheless need to purchase the product. That approach it furthers our mission no matter what somebody’s intent is,” says Prakruthi, including, “Despite the fact that we’re making merchandise out of chindi (waste), we wished the stuff to look very polished.”
Nonetheless, the issue with waste is you may make merchandise from it however it’s tough to make a sustainable, scalable enterprise out of it. Since one can’t make a big amount of items with simply scraps, the normal approach folks do that enterprise doesn’t apply.
“The aim of this enterprise was to principally set up textile waste as a viable uncooked materials for a giant enterprise. We’ve got type of discovered how one can go about that. Shifting ahead, it’ll be good for lots of up-and-coming companies, as it would present that it’s truly attainable to make use of simply waste to develop a enterprise,” she provides.
Talking of the long run, Prakruthi and Akshara plan on increasing into the approach to life equipment section; every part however clothes. “The garment market is kind of saturated. Individuals are already shopping for lots of garments on a regular basis. However we really feel such as you don’t really want to purchase an entire bunch of garments to have a brand new look. We wished so as to add one particular singular factor to an in any other case regular outfit, one thing that immediately makes it extra attention-grabbing — that’s our intention,” shares Prakruthi.
Cultivating a tradition of upcycling
By selecting textile waste as its medium, Juhu Seaside Studio inherently meets its private standards for sustainability and longevity in design. It envisions merchandise as timeless gadgets that may be cherished and used through the years.
“You don’t want lots of stuff to precise your self,” says Prakruthi.
Via their interactive workshops the place they educate folks to work with their arms, they goal to shift perceptions of upcycling and utilizing second-hand. “We need to create a tradition the place you reuse supplies, cherish objects, and repair them repeatedly, as a result of there’s one thing valuable about them. Simply because one thing’s been discarded or broken, it doesn’t imply that it’s ineffective,” remarks Prakruthi.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All pictures courtesy Juhu Seaside Studio
