Used and reused

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Upcycling old clothes has always been a way of life in India. Take, for instance the villages in Rajasthan that are known for their quilts or patchwork style. Indian designers have always embraced using the discarded. Check out these stores for ‘best from waste' products.

Archana's Creation

Started by Archana Gadge, this is a homegrown brand that transforms pre-loved garments into something new and usable. She specialises in creating tote bags, laptop sleeves and pouches from jeans, using jute that comes with courier packages and more such packaging materials that would otherwise go to waste. Being an artist, herself, she brings life to the products by hand painting the bags with Warli motifs. All her products are strictly custom made and Gadge is open to suggestions.
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Call: 9823354003

Tejal Keyur Textiles

Started by Tejal Deshpande - a textile designer from National Institute of Design (NID), India, this startup creates interesting upcycled items. They use old clothes to create hand-knitted style items ranging from baskets and bags to tableware. Their products look modern, colourful and extremely sturdy given their knitting style. You can send them your own discarded garments and they will create something worth reusing!
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@Tejalkeyur.textiles, Instagram

SEVA Charitable Trust

SEVA is a non-profit organisation devoted to saving nature. They create handcrafted items such as bags, pouches et al from donated clothes. All of their products are created by the Adivasi women at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and all the proceeds are used to help the tribals.
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@Sevaofficial, Facebook

The Initiative

Arushi Aggarwal's The Initiative is known for handcrafted lifestyle products and home decor pieces. All of their items are ethically made by hand-quilting garment production waste. They don't make a single up-cycled piece, but they do create bulk orders. They accept your old clothes and work around your brief. They create a range of personal accessories like bags, books, laptop sleeves and more.
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www.theinitiative.in

The Abhinaya Store

Abhinaya Natarajan's store makes bags, totes, toys, cushion covers and bike covers using cloth sourced from the customers. They also collect tailoring waste and upcycle it to create desired items. The entire process of designing the item from scrap to a finished product takes about 10 days or so depending on the product. They offer a 15 per cent discount if you give them your old fabric to create new items.
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@TheAbhiyanaStore, Instagram