Shita Singhal is proof that observation and creativity go hand in hand. While pursuing her post-graduation in fashion design from Pearl Academy, Delhi, the Noida resident observed firsthand the bulk of waste that was being generated in a single classroom of design students. “I often wondered, if this is what is happening in the classroom, imagine what is happening in the industry at large,” shares Singhal. Next, only a few months later—when Singhal was completing her internship—she noticed another aspect of textile waste. “I saw how conscious designers were saving waste rather than discarding them due to limited resources or even solutions to upcycle such waste. As a result, they were storing it; and they had warehouses stored with waste.”
Out of sheer curiosity—and for the need to tackle the issue of textile—Singhal drafted a simple, yet effective, action plan. “I procured some textile waste and started cutting them into strips; I then started weaving them into handloom fabrics. After that, out of those fabrics, I created jackets.” What Singhal discerned as an elementary idea, unknowingly, turned out to be the start of a small business. “I converted the whole idea into a business plan—we would procure textile waste from design houses, repurpose them into textiles, and sell the textile back to the design houses. In this way, they [design houses] can create a sustainable range for their clientele.”
This innovative strategy by Singhal made her the winner at the 2018 edition of the Global James McGuire Business plan competition, for which she received a grant of $25,000. Little did Singhal know that the upcycling service provider, Paiwand, that she set up next—which, at the outset, may seem like an outcome of this event—was just an incipient channel to tackle the problem of textile waste. Through her brand, Singhal and her team create multiple products—clothing; home furnishings; furniture; lighting; and smaller scraps end up as fillers for cushion, quilts, blankets—using discarded fabrics.
It’s about team work
Environmental challenges cannot be tackled alone; collaboration is the key to dealing with eco-issues. While working with export houses, design houses, fashion brands, would be ideal; Singhal’s network goes beyond just the fashion fraternity. She elaborates, “We have multiple channels: designers across the world send us their textile waste, and that apart, we work with the ragpickers’ community. We also source waste from katran [scrap] markets, and have a tie-up with secondhand sari vendors. But that’s not all, sometimes, we also receive post-consumer waste [especially through social media platforms such as Instagram].”
Just three years into the business, and Paiwand has introduced hand embroideries— waste is used as a raw material to explore the craft—while also working on handloom weaving. Singhal shares, “Delhi used to be the hub of handloom weavers, especially for dhurries and bedsheets. We are giving employment to weavers who have lost their jobs because of the introduction of power loom.”
Talking about the power of collaboration, she concludes, “Initially, no one would agree to collaborate with us, but now designers are very open to it. Since market awareness is growing, fashion designers are also looking for newer solutions to upcycle waste.”