From Rags to Riches: Indian Designer Finds Sustainable Way to Create High Fashion

An Indian designer uses scraps of discarded fabric to assemble fashionable clothing for men and women as a sustainable alternative to high-end clothing.
New Delhi-based Kriti Tula fashion label Doodlage collects scraps of fabric from scrapped factories for minor defects and assembles them to create flowy dresses and sarees, selling them for around $ 100 each.

Tula said the brand, which includes a men’s line that includes patchwork shirts with denim bands, was born out of its concern for the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.

Tula said sourcing the scraps was initially complex and the prices for the products had to be higher than many buyers might have thought it was worth paying for recycled clothing.

Gradually, however, her company found like-minded suppliers and partners, she said.
Besides clothing, her brand also makes soft toys, bags, handbags and paper from scraps of fabric.