In The World Of Fast Fashion, Give A Conscience To Your Old Clothes

If your old clothes don't fit anymore or are torn, you can give them a new life rather than throwing them in a bin. Meet Meenakshi Sharma and Nidhi Lodha who are using old clothes as an alternative to plastic and making them trendy.

"Sustainability can be practiced with the most unsustainable products also. It is just about having the correct approach toward resources", says Meenakshi Sharma, founder of Use Me Works. At Use Me Works, Meenakshi and a group of women artisans upcycle old clothes into accessories, home décor items, and bags.

At Use Me Works, nothing gets wasted. Old clothes and scraps are also reused to make items like scrunchies. And all the items are handmade.
Wall décor at Meenakshi's studio is also made from old vinyl records and cassettes. Use Me Works is all about the best out of waste.
"All this waste goes to landfills and causes pollution. We are saving the environment by utilising waste", says Nisha, an artisan at Use Me Works. Nisha, who has always been fond of sewing, left her abusive husband and came to Delhi to work with Meenakshi. Today, she is independent and raising a son on her own.

Gujarat is a state famous for its textile crafts. These crafts still survive because of continued patronage, support, and demand. One of the people reviving the crafts of Gujarat is Nidhi Lodha.
Nidhi Lodha's affinity for craft, jewellery and handwork led to the creation of 'June', a brand that turns scrap into jackets and jewellery.
Nidhi mixes art and culture to make bohemian jewellery. Interestingly, she makes upcycled jewellery from Kutchi textile scraps.

June uses Kutchi patches on old jackets to make them look trendy.
June is a women-run textile label that has empowered multiple women and made them self-sufficient. Currently, June has 30-35 women working on and off. If there's an exhibition or a big order then the network of women helps the brand.
Upcycling comes naturally to Nidhi, she says and adds, "If you're wearing a shirt and it doesn't look nice, get a patch from outside, put on it, or pay someone to upcycle that cloth. It'll cost lesser to both you and the environment."