Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta, co-founders of Juhu Seashore 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 crew and a matter-of-fact dedication to accountable manufacturing practices, they’re rewriting the connection between model and sustainability.
Each graduates of NID Ahmedabad, Prakruthi and Akshara had at all times shared a artistic bond. After commencement, they labored on various things however finally discovered themselves again in Mumbai — the nation’s second-largest textile hub.
“We at all times 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 models throughout Mumbai. In addition they accumulate discarded textiles imported from different international locations, making certain their merchandise are crafted from supplies that might in any other case go to waste.
The duo employs a number of handwork methods, together with embroidery and applique, with most objects created both by hand or with stitching machines. This deal with 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 spread of methods that align with their model’s ethos. They shortly found that this hands-on method not solely creates lovely merchandise but additionally fosters a deeper connection to the supplies and the tales behind them.
Constructing a supportive workspace
Making a secure and empowering setting for his or her crew, together with a deal with sustainability, was non-negotiable. Immediately, they make use of an all-female crew of round 10 girls, all skilled in handwork by the studio.
Prakruthi says, “After we began this model we had been very eager on having an all-women crew. As a result of the standard office has not been designed to keep in mind all the opposite issues a girl is anticipated to do in her house. 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 neighborhood. “They skilled us in handwork methods. And the studio just isn’t like different locations. I’ve issues with my legs, so I require a number of leeway nevertheless it’s by no means a problem right here. All of us snicker and joke always. It’s a beautiful setting to work in.”
At Juhu Seashore Studio, the seek for textile waste is a year-round endeavour. They actively supply small scraps — usually only a few inches in measurement — from manufacturing models, together with bigger items discarded attributable to dyeing errors or tears. This materials hunt immediately influences their design course of, as every assortment is crafted across the materials they collect.
Whereas this method 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 shortly! 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 doable to make these sorts of merchandise with waste, to see if individuals 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 style market the place the whole lot has a sure life span, JBS wished to make one thing out of textile waste that not solely seems to be completely different but additionally offers items an prolonged life span.
“We wished our merchandise to be designed in such a manner that somebody who cares about sustainability finds one thing that they like. However even in case you don’t care about that, you’d nonetheless need to purchase the product. That manner it furthers our mission no matter what somebody’s intent is,” says Prakruthi, including, “Although we’re making merchandise out of chindi (waste), we wished the stuff to look very polished.”
Nonetheless, the issue with waste is you can also make merchandise from it nevertheless 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 standard manner individuals do that enterprise doesn’t apply.
“The aim of this enterprise was to principally set up textile waste as a viable uncooked materials for an enormous enterprise. We’ve type of discovered the right way to go about that. Shifting ahead, it’ll be good for lots of up-and-coming companies, as it would present that it’s truly doable to make use of simply waste to develop a enterprise,” she provides.
Talking of the longer term, Prakruthi and Akshara plan on increasing into the approach to life equipment phase; the whole lot however clothes. “The garment market is kind of saturated. Persons are already shopping for a number of garments on a regular basis. However we really feel such as you don’t really want to purchase a complete 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 Seashore Studio inherently meets its private standards for sustainability and longevity in design. It envisions merchandise as timeless objects that may be cherished and used through the years.
“You don’t want a number of stuff to specific your self,” says Prakruthi.
By their interactive workshops the place they train individuals to work with their fingers, 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 treasured 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 Seashore Studio
