Hyderabad entrepreneurs ‘Modify’ clothes from aloe vera to orange peel
HYDERABAD: While the special jacket made of recycled plastic bottles worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Parliament has generated buzz and made a sustainable fashion statement in the world of Louis Vuittons and Guccis, an entrepreneur in the city is setting a trend by producing clothing out of every other recycled waste, from aloe vera to even orange peel.
The PM has long been known for his distinctive style, the Mandarin-collared, sleeveless jackets, but the jacket made from recycled plastic bottles has taken the spotlight and emerged as the newest trend in the world of sustainability.
Prashansa Shahani, a city-based entrepreneur, believes that the PM wearing the novel jacket made of recycled plastic would start a trend that many others will certainly emulate. "That has happened with khadi before. Long before Prime Minister Modi, Nehru was popular for his knee-length jacket and waistcoats, which gave him a distinct style and widely referred to as the ‘Nehru jacket’,” she said. Shahani's business makes clothes out of recycled materials such as aloe vera, medical waste, bamboo, lotus, soy, rose, corn, milk, orange peel, or any discarded waste that one can imagine.
"We collect PET bottles from shores, roadsides, landfills, bins, and a variety of other places where they are dumped. After being cleaned, they go through a process that adequately compresses them to separate them into tiny pieces, which are then combined to create smooth cloth,” she explained. Shahani claims their sports jerseys and plastic T-shirts are currently in high demand.
Shahani recalled that when she first started selling hemp-made products and clothing, most of her clients bought them so they could boast to their friends about the distinctive clothing. “Today, a majority of our clients are those who chose our products for a sustainable living,” she said.
Our business model currently is B2C in Hyderabad. However, we follow the B2B model by supplying fabrics to companies in the US, Australia, and Europe. "Things are starting to perk up now for green firms; we will get there eventually,” she asserted.
Mallika Reddy, the founder of a sustainable company, turns medical waste into bags, pouches, and even masks. Nearly all of these brands have pricing that starts at Rs 1,000 and can reach Rs 10,000 or more. When asked if the concept of sustainable fashion has yet to become the standard for the average person, Mallika responded that supply and demand determine the business. "Handmade items can be industrialised, and the price can be reduced if more people are looking to buy them,” she remarked.
