Ethically fashionable

Kriti Tula is known for re-designing, reconstructing and re-cycling textile waste into a playful and unique fashion line. She comes from a typical Indian family where upcycling and recycling clothes has been a way of life.  “Indian families normally reuse old clothes, whether it is your sister’s hand-me-downs for the younger ones or using mom’s old sarees to create kurtis or lehengas. Those aspects did have a large influence in my design sensibility,” says Kriti.

From box tops and cropped jackets to jumpsuits made of different prints to quirky textured waistcoats — through her designs Kriti blends sustainability with exclusive high street fashion. She tells us, “During my first year in college, I did my internship with a garment exporter. I witnessed that many a time, materials got rejected due to slight variation in the colour or print. These rejected materials were not used at all or mostly dumped in the warehouse. That is when I started researching about fabric wastage in the fashion industry and decided that whenever I start a line of my own, I will focus on sustainable fashion.”

Thus came in Doodlage and its fully upcycled collections. “The garments created by us are made of industrial waste. Thus, every garment’s look and feel is different, as we don’t have the same kind of fabric or print to replicate, which makes our product line niche. It’s just the same as being unable to replicate a doodle. Hence, we named the brand Doodlage,” says Kriti.

She started the label in 2012 with three others, with an aim to merge innovative design with sustainable techniques to make fashion not just chic, but also eco-friendly. “I basically aim to promote the use of recycled products that have been discarded or are out of fashion. I work on these discarded clothes which are either surplus or export rejects,” she explains.

Of the kinds of fabric she likes to work with, Kriti says, “I primarily source from exporters, retailers and printing units that have a large amount of their own production waste. I like the fact that each piece I create seems to be telling a story. I also make sure every product has its own identity — in terms of cut, fabric, colour — redefining the entire concept of individuality.”

The Delhi-based designer will be showcasing her latest collection in the GenNext category at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. About her upcoming show, Kriti says, “The collection I am showcasing at LFW is called ‘Purge’, which basically means unwanted and discarded. I always ensure that the name of the collection is something that I associate with.”

The collection also gets its inspiration from the 2013 James DeMonaco movie, Purge, so a lot of stars and stripes on bomber jackets and slouchies have been incorporated. “For this line, I have used denim as the main fabric. I have ensured that I follow zero-wastage in this project, so I have tried to incorporate every bit of cloth as a surface ornamentation in this line,” she adds.

The future seems exciting for this 27-year-old entrepreneur. She wants to foray into menswear as well as kids wear. At the same time, she would like to continue her association with Indian and international brands and create new ranges for them. Kriti says, “In the past we have co-created fashion lines for labels like Fabindia, Brahmakarma and Aavaran. I would like to continue these associations while focusing on creating relaxed, comfortable clothing.”